On 3 March 2008 at 8.15am, Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine were returning to Tunis from a trip to Europe when they were subjected to a full-body search on their arrival at the port of La Goulette. Members of the Tunisian Political Police requested that they follow them to the customs office, on the pretext of fulfilling an administrative formality. Once inside the office, the policemen reportedly locked the door and Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine were detained for six hours, during which time they were subject to beatings while their clothes were damaged and their bags torn open. The policemen reportedly confiscated their mobile phones and their bank cards. Several original documents were taken and the policemen also made copies of the hard discs of their lap-top computers. Sihem Bensedrine is currently suffering from a sprained wrist and an injury to her elbow as a result of the assault.
Further Information
Posted 07/03/2008 Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine, as well as all members of the CNLT, have been the victims of acts of aggression on the part of the Tunisian authorities since 1999 as a result of their activities in the defence of human rights.
On 7 February 2008, Sihem Bensedrine was awarded the 2008 Peace Prize by the Danish Peace Foundation.
Front Line believes that Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine have been targeted as part of an ongoing campaign of intimidation on the part of the Tunisian authorities against human rights defenders in order to dissuade them from continuing with their legitimate work in the defence of human rights. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine.
Action Finished:
This Urgent Appeal has now ended. No further action is requested at this point. Thank you for taking action on this case.
Front Line issues Urgent Appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk on a daily basis. These Appeals normally remain active on our web site for a period of up to six weeks, depending on the situation. After this time they will be archived. Front Line maintains a watching brief on all these cases but no further action is requested after the six weeks, unless there is a significant development in the case.
