Tunisia: Release Journalist Now, says hrw

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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PRESS RELEASE/UPDATE - TUNISIA

22 August 2003

Human Rights Watch calls for release of journalist arrested after assisting
human-rights mission

SOURCE: Human Rights Watch

**Updates IFEX alerts of 20 August and 21 July 2003, 7 November, 10
September, 26 and 22 August 2002**

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a Human Rights Watch press release:

Tunisia: Release Journalist Now

(New York, August 22, 2003) - The Tunisian government should release
journalist Abdullah Zouari immediately and unconditionally, Human Rights
Watch said today. Zouari was arrested after he assisted a Human Rights Watch
research mission in the south of Tunisia.

Zouari, currently in Harboub prison, has faced constant harassment since he
completed an 11-year prison sentence in June 2002. The original sentence
included an additional five years of "administrative control," and after
his release the Ministry of Interior ordered him confined to the town of
Zarzis in a remote southern region far from his family in Tunis. Zouari's
appeal of that order is still pending.

Zouari was arrested on August 17 in Ben Guerdane, a market town near Zarzis.
He is scheduled to appear before the cantonal judge on Friday, August 22, on
charges of leaving Zarzis without obtaining police permission. But that does
not appear to be the only reason. Although police had reportedly warned him
not to contact foreign media and rights workers, in early August, Zouari
helped a Human Rights Watch researcher visiting southern Tunisia meet with
victims of rights abuses. Their movements were monitored by men in
plainclothes who were apparently police.

"The real reason for Zouari's arrest is his unflagging determination to
fight for his own rights and the rights of others," said Hanny Megally,
executive director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human
Rights Watch. "Any Tunisian who dares to criticize the lack of political
freedoms under President Ben Ali knows to expect harassment or worse, but
the risk is doubled for a former political prisoner. Abdullah Zouari must be
released from prison and allowed to live and work where he wishes, and to
speak without restriction."

Zouari wrote for Al-Fajr, a now-defunct publication linked to the banned
Nahdha ("Renaissance") party, and served 11 years in prison for "membership
in an illegal organization." He was released in June 2002, but convicted
again two months later and sentenced to eight months in prison for violating
his administrative control order. Zouari served only two months of that
sentence before his release in November 2002 for "humanitarian reasons."
Last month, Zouari was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison for
"libel" after a dispute with the owner of an Internet café who Zouari said
denied him entry. Zouari has appealed that decision also.

For further information, contact Joe Stork in Washington D.C., tel: +1 202
612 4327; Vanessa Saenen in Brussels, tel: +322-732-2009; or Human Rights
Watch, 350 Fifth Ave., 34th Floor, New York NY 10018-3299, U.S.A., tel: +1
212 290 4700, fax: +1 212 736 1300, e-mail: [email protected] or Human Rights
Watch, 1522 K Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20005-1202, U.S.A., tel: +1 202
371 6592, fax: +1 202 371 0124, e-mail: [email protected], Internet:
http://www.hrw.org/

The information contained in this press release/update is the sole
responsibility of Human Rights Watch. In citing this material for broadcast
or publication, please credit Human Rights Watch.
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