mohammed abbou

Samia Abbou, wife of eminent lawyer and human rights defender, Mohammed Abbou, was subjected to a brutal assault on 7 December. She and three other leading Tunisian human rights defenders were attacked and beaten outside El Kef prison, near Tunis, by a group of about forty men in civilian clothing.

Samia Abbou traveled to El Kef to visit her imprisoned husband with human rights defenders; Moncef Marzouki, former president of the National Committee for Liberties in Tunisia (CNLT) and the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) Salim Boukhdhir, a well known Journalist and Samir ben Amor, founding member of the International Association for the Support of Political Prisoner. According to reports, police stopped the car in which they were traveling on a number of occasions throughout the journey to El Kef and were present outside the prison at the time of the assault.  

18 May 2006

A group of women lawyers observed a 24-hour hunger strike on Wednesday 17 May in the Bar association building (Maison du Barreau) opposite the Palais de la Justice in the Tunisian capital of Tunis

The women were taking part in a sit in since 9 May, protesting against the Tunisian governments decision to create a law to take the control of the training of barristers away from the independent national Bar association – the Conseil national de l'ordre des avocats (CNOA).

The 32 women went on hunger strike because of police aggression perpetrated against them during the sit in protest.

Tunisian police verbally and physically attacked well-known lawyer, Leila Ben Dabba on the steps of Maison du Barreau as she was attempting to bring food to the protestors on Monday 15 May

The women have demanded a judicial enquiry into the attacks and the CNOA have condemned Government efforts to undermine the independence of the legal profession.

Tunisian lawyer Mohammed Abbou was imprisoned for three and a half years in April 2005 because of his criticisms of the human rights situation in Tunisia

17 November 2005 A press conference, on 16 November attended by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, at the Tunis headquarters of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), in effect, became the first unofficial meeting of the Citizens Summit on Information Technology (CSIS) The Tunisian government has systematically blocked the alternative summit’s preparatory meetings and planned workshops and events in flagrant breach of the right to freedom of expression and association. In doing so, the Tunisian Government has demonstrated contempt for the Geneva Principles* and for their obligations under the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and international human rights law.

Leading representatives of International and Tunisian Civil Society committed themselves to continuing the struggle for the basic rights to freedom of expression and association in Tunisia in front of the audience of over 200 journalists, diplomats and NGO members. The Mayor of Geneva, echoing the statements of the President of Switzerland’s comment at the official World Summit, said that rights freedom of expression and assembly were universal and not the domain of one culture  

26 October 2005

Human rights defenders, Irish government ministers, NGO workers and EU and UN officials gathered in Dublin from Thursday 13 October to Saturday 15 October to attend Front Line’s 3rd Dublin Platform.

Human rights defenders from over 70 countries around the globe, participated in workshops on Front Line’s Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders, discussed ways of overcoming the numerous and varied threats they face and gave testimonies of their experiences.

Irish minister for foreign affairs and Envoy of the UN Secretary General on UN reform, Mr Dermot Ahern praised the “idealism and courage” of human rights defenders in the opening session of the platform. He offered a special welcome to Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, winner of the inaugural Front Line Human Rights Defenders Award. Dr Mudawi was arrested in his native Sudan earlier this year only a few hours prior to his departure to Ireland to collect his award from the President of Ireland, Mary Mc Aleese

Mr Ahern spoke of the importance of a stronger UN for human rights defenders and stressed Ireland and the EU’s commitment to the UN reform process.