Tunisia trade union defiant after president backs ‘corruption' claims
The protest last week, which the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) said included 'an attempted attack' on its headquarters by Saied's supporters, added to concerns voiced by rights groups over shrinking freedoms ever since the president staged a power grab in 2021.
'We will not be silenced,' UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi told an emergency meeting of the union's leadership, called in response to Thursday's rally that featured accusations of 'corruption' and of being 'a mafia.'
'Anyone with a case should seek legal redress — we are not above the law,' said Taboubi, vowing to defend the organization's 'dignity and honor.'
The UGTT earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its part in supporting the North African country's democratic transition following the Arab Spring revolution.
President Saied has expressed his support for the dozens of protesters who had gathered outside the UGTT headquarters in Tunis, promising in a video statement to ensure 'accountability' for the UGTT's alleged misconduct.
He denied the demonstrators were engaged in any violence.
Several leading rights groups have expressed their support for the UGTT, with the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights saying trade unions have become victims of smear campaigns.
Since Saied seized full powers in July 2021 in what critics have called a 'coup,' local and international rights groups have denounced a democratic backsliding and the arrests of dozens of political opponents, journalist, lawyers and civil society figures.
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Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
Tunisia trade union defiant after president backs ‘corruption' claims
TUNIS: The head of a powerful Tunisian trade union confederation called on Monday to defend the group after protesters backed by President Kais Saied levelled harsh accusations against it. The protest last week, which the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) said included 'an attempted attack' on its headquarters by Saied's supporters, added to concerns voiced by rights groups over shrinking freedoms ever since the president staged a power grab in 2021. 'We will not be silenced,' UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi told an emergency meeting of the union's leadership, called in response to Thursday's rally that featured accusations of 'corruption' and of being 'a mafia.' 'Anyone with a case should seek legal redress — we are not above the law,' said Taboubi, vowing to defend the organization's 'dignity and honor.' The UGTT earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its part in supporting the North African country's democratic transition following the Arab Spring revolution. President Saied has expressed his support for the dozens of protesters who had gathered outside the UGTT headquarters in Tunis, promising in a video statement to ensure 'accountability' for the UGTT's alleged misconduct. He denied the demonstrators were engaged in any violence. Several leading rights groups have expressed their support for the UGTT, with the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights saying trade unions have become victims of smear campaigns. Since Saied seized full powers in July 2021 in what critics have called a 'coup,' local and international rights groups have denounced a democratic backsliding and the arrests of dozens of political opponents, journalist, lawyers and civil society figures.
Arab News
18 hours ago
- Arab News
UK PM under pressure after more than 500 arrests at Palestine Action protests in London
LONDON: British prime minister Keir Starmer faces mounting criticism after hundreds of people were detained during a demonstration in Parliament Square in London at the weekend against the government's decision to ban Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police said officers arrested 532 people on Saturday, 522 of them for displaying items in support of the proscribed group. A breakdown of the arrest figures released on Sunday revealed that 348 of those apprehended were age 50 or over, The Independent newspaper reported. The protest, organized by Defend Our Juries, an organization that 'supports collective action to expose this corruption of democracy and the rule of law,' took place after ministers warned they would take action against anyone who showed public support for Palestine Action, which was designated a terrorist organization last month. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones defended the crackdown, saying: 'The right to peacefully protest in this country is a cornerstone of our democracy, and of course we respect that. But with regards to Palestine Action, they are a proscribed terrorist organization and their actions have not been peaceful. 'They have violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft. We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons which we can't disclose because of national security. 'But they are a proscribed terrorist organization and anyone showing support for that terrorist organization will feel the full force of the law.' The prime minister's office also defended the proscription, saying it followed 'strong security advice' and citing attacks said to be linked to the group involving violence, injury and criminal damage. Officials said the UK's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre had linked the group to three separate acts of terrorism. However, the move drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, a member of Starmer's ruling Labour Party and of the House of Lords, warned that the ban risked deepening social divisions. 'The proscription of Palestine Action is in danger of becoming a mistake of poll tax proportions,' she told The Independent, referring to a highly unpopular taxation policy of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's government that led to violent protests in the early 1990s across the UK. 'The courts have already found an arguable case that it breaches fundamental rights and more, not less, people are coming out to protest against both atrocities in Gaza and inappropriate use of terror laws at home. 'The notable presence of so many older people highlights the strength of genuine feeling. Criminal damage at air force bases can be prosecuted, but sweeping guilt by association only exacerbates community tensions and creates a bigger headache for the police.' Former Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain described the arrests as 'madness,' and said Palestine Action was 'not equivalent' to terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or Daesh, adding that this was why he had voted against its ban. Independent MP Diane Abbott said: 'The government is in danger of making itself look both draconian and foolish.' Left-wing Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who also opposed the ban, accused ministers of 'conflating protest with terrorism.' In a message posted on social media platform X, she said: 'Last month, I warned that proscribing Palestine Action would result in the mass criminalization of people who are not even members of the group. Now, more than 500 people have been arrested. I voted against the proscription; we shouldn't be conflating protest with terrorism.' Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal warned that the mass arrests would clog the justice system: 'These would probably be jury trials as each of them would be advised to plead not guilty and expect a trial in 2027 at the earliest. I also suspect that no jury would convict anyhow.' Amnesty International described the level of policing as 'disproportionate to the point of absurdity.' Its chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, said: 'Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. People are understandably outraged by the ongoing genocide being committed in Gaza and are entitled under international human rights law to express their horror. 'The protesters in Parliament Square were not inciting violence and it is entirely disproportionate, to the point of absurdity, to be treating them as terrorists. We have long criticized UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded, and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified.' Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the protest would 'go down in our country's history as a momentous act of collective defiance of an unprecedented attack on our fundamental freedoms.' She argued that the large number of people granted street bail showed the law was 'unenforceable.' Street bail is a process under which arrested individuals can be granted bail before they are taken to a police station. Under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, membership of or support for a proscribed organization carries a maximum prison term of 14 years. In some cases, prosecutions require approval from both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Attorney General.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Bangladesh court hears graft case against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina
DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh on Monday heard cases brought by the anti-corruption organization against ex-leader Sheikh Hasina and her family, including her daughter who has served as a top UN official. Three officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) read out testimonies in three separate cases over an alleged land grab of lucrative plots in a suburb of the capital Dhaka. Hasina, 77, fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, after weeks of student-led protests against her autocratic rule. She has defied orders to return from India, including to attend her separate and ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity, over the deadly crackdown on the uprising. Hasina has been named in six corruption cases, along with her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her daughter Saima Wazed, who has been serving as the World Health Organization's Southeast Asia chief in New Delhi. 'If found guilty, Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Saima Wazed could face up to 14 years in prison,' ACC lawyer Khan Mohammad Mainul Hossain told AFP. Wazed is on leave from the WHO and a new official has taken up a post as 'officer-in-charge.' In total, six cases have been filed of alleged corruption connected to Hasina. Among those named in other cases, some slated to be heard later in August, are Hasina's sister, Sheikh Rehana, and her children — including British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq. Tulip Siddiq resigned as the UK government's anti-corruption minister in January, denying any wrongdoing after being named in multiple probes in Bangladesh. Siddiq's lawyers have said the allegations against her are false.
