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UN experts condemn Tunisia for jailing lawyers over free speech
UN experts accused Tunisian authorities on Monday of wrongfully imprisoning attorneys in order to stifle criticism.
The special rapporteurs noted multiple incidents in which attorneys were arrested and even imprisoned for pleading or making remarks.
'Targeting legal professionals solely for performing their role in the justice system or exercising their freedom of expression poses a direct threat to the integrity and fairness of legal proceedings in Tunisia,' according to a joint statement from the experts.
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They referenced the instance of Ahmed Souab, a lawyer who was arrested on terrorism-related charges in April after stating that judges were under political pressure to sentence opposition leaders harshly in a recent mass trial.
The experts said this and several other cases they detailed 'appear designed to ensure critics of the executive are silenced'.
President Kais Saied, elected in 2019, has ruled Tunisia by decree since a 2021 power grab.
The UN experts urged Tunisia to see that 'lawyers should be able to carry out all their professional duties without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference'.
They said they had informed the Tunisian government of their concerns.
The statement was issued by Margaret Satterthwaite, special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Irene Khan, special rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression and opinion.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council to report their findings. They do not speak for the United Nations itself.
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