Individual rights and freedoms must be protected by the Tunisian authorities who must oppose any attempt to compromise them during the month of Ramadan
We, the Collective for the Defense of Individual Freedoms,
Noting the multiple attacks and violations perpetrated against individual freedoms by public authorities, self-proclaimed groups or individuals as protectors of religion and good morals, which has further multiplied and worsened attacks against individual freedoms in a context of impunity ,
Noting, as in previous years and with the approach of the month of Ramadan, the rise of hate speech against religious diversity in our country and the increase in threats against the freedoms of conscience, religion, opinion and expression.
Given the very disturbing content of the letter sent in November 2017 by the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Lotfi Braham to the Assembly of the Representatives of the People and which is currently circulating on social networks, invoking the first article of the Constitution, some constitutional provisions, the security situation in the country, terrorist threats, and a total denial on the part of the Ministry of the Interior as to the excesses committed in recent years (especially those relating to the arrest of non-young people) for justify the entry into force of Decree 1981 and the restrictions methodically exercised by the Ministry of the Interior against freedom of conscience, religion, expression, opinion and trade.
Faced with this restricted, selective and conservative reading of the constitution, the Collective for the defense of individual freedoms expresses its deepest concern as to the way in which the authorities approach the issue of individual freedoms and condemns these positions which it considers to be not. only the reason but also a cover that hides the spread of the speech of violence and hate, and a means to fuel extremism and reinforce terrorism.
For these reasons, the Collectif Civil Pour Les Libertés Individuelles is sending this letter to the Tunisian authorities to remind them of their national and international commitments, in particular those set out in the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to ask them to '' refrain from violations committed against individual freedoms for whatever reasons, and calls on it to put an end to all attacks on individual freedoms by prosecuting and punishing the aggressors (individuals or groups). Therefore :
The Civil Collective For Individual Liberties calls on the President of the Republic to fulfill his constitutional obligation to "ensure respect for the Constitution" (Article 72) as a coherent unit according to Article 146.
The Civil Collective For Individual Liberties also asks the Head of Government, constitutionally responsible for "determining the general policy of the State and ensuring its implementation", to repeal the circulars which flagrantly violate the provisions of the text. Supreme State, in particular the circular published in 1981 which provides for the closure of shops during the month of Ramadan, and in general, calls on it to implement the provisions of the Constitution relating to rights and freedoms .
The Civil Collective also calls on the Assembly of the Representatives of the People to assume its responsibilities concerning the revision of repressive laws, including the Penal Code in order to adapt it to the new Constitution, in terms of guaranteeing individual rights and freedoms and collective.
The Civil Collective For Individual Liberties reminds the judiciary of its constitutional obligation to "protect rights and freedoms from any infringement" (Article 49 of the Constitution), and "to guarantee the supremacy of the Constitution, the sovereignty of the law and the protection of rights and freedoms ”(Article 102 of the Constitution), and calls on it to abandon any arbitrary legal proceedings in contradiction with the Constitution.
The Civil Collective For Individual Liberties recalls that it has already had recourse to justice in a first phase in order to protect these rights and freedoms and in order to provide justice to the victims of these violations and arbitrary arrests. The components of the Collective declare themselves ready to campaign by using all legal means to uphold the rule of law, freedom of conscience and belief, equality and protection of individual freedoms, civil and democratic status consecrated by the Constitution of January 27, 2014.
The signatory associations:
1. La Ligue tunisienne des droits de l’homme
2. L’Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates
3. Association of Tunisian Women for Development Research
4. Association Tunisienne de défense des libertés individuelles (ADLI)
5. L’Association Beyti
6. The Mawjoudin Initiative for We Exist Equality
7. The League of Tunisian Electors
8. The Tawhida Ben Cheikh Group-For Research & Action in Women's Health
9. The Shams Association
10. The Tunisian Association for Justice and Legality DAMJ
11. The CHOUF MINORITIES Association
12. The Association for the Promotion of the Right to Difference ADD
13. The League of Tunisian Electors LET
14. The Tunisian Association for the Fight against STDs and AIDS ATL
15. The Waai Association
16. The national network of peer educators Y-PEER Tunisia
17. The CALAM Association
18. The Free Sight Association
19. ALSEJINE 52
20. The Tunisian Organization for Social Justice and Solidarity OTJUSS
21. The Tunisian Association for Positive Prevention + ATP +
22. The Doustouna Network
23. The Horra Association
24. The Coalition for Women of Tunisia
25. The Fanni Roughman Anni Association
26. The Mnemty Association
27. The Touensa Association
28. The L’ArtRue Association
29. The Kelmty Association
30. EuroMed Rights Network
31. Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF)
Dated:
Tuesday, May 15, 2018