Tunisia- Violence against women id PAA07736; Sat, 20 Sep 1997 15:25:05 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit The Human Rights Actions Network - Derechos Human Rights http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/ Violence Against Women Case TUN 150997 The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Tunisia. Brief description of the situation The Association for the Victims of Repression in Exile (AVRE), a member of the network, has expressed grave concern over the alleged persecution of Madame Ben Aissa Naziha, a Tunisian national born on 14 .02.66. According to information received, Mrs Ben Aissa Naziha has allegedly been suffering from practically constant harassment on the part of the Tunisian authorities since the escape from Tunisia in 1993 of her husband, M. Zid Moncef, responsible for the Tunisian General Students' Union (UGTE). M. Moncef was sentenced in absentia to 2 years' imprisonment and is now a political refugee in France. Mrs Ben Aissa Naziha has allegedly been arrested on three occasions: 3 days in August 1993, 5 days in October 1993 then in November. During each of these detentions she has apparently been the victim of ill-treatment, (repeated blows on the face), grave sexual harassment (threats of rape, including what is described in the information as forced "strip tease") all of which have left psychological as well as physical sequelae (semi-deafness). Since her last detention Mrs Ben Aissa Naziha is allegedly subjected to weekly administrative control and assigned to forced residence in Sfax. She has been ordered to cease all contact with her husband. The pressure has apparently been increasing and she has allegedly been threatened with torture if she does not divorce her husband. Since then the couple have decided to break off all contact. The OMCT draws attention to the fact that article 12 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Tunisia is a Party provides that "Everyone shall be free to leave any country including his own". This right is also provided in Article 13 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- Action requested Please write to the Tunisian authorities urging them to: i- put an end immediately to all forms of persecution against Mrs Ben Aissa Naziha and guarantee the respect of her physical and psychological integrity; ii. ensure that Mrs Ben Aissa Naziha enjoy the necessary conditions to enable her to join M. Zid Moncef on either a permanent or an occasional basis; iii. carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the facts alleged in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and impose upon them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law; iv. ensure in all circumstances the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in accordance with national laws and international standards. Addresses : M. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Chef de l'Etat, Palais prisidentiel de Carthage, Tunis, Tunisie. Fax : + 216 1 744 721 M. Mohamed Ben Rejeb, Ministre de l'Intirieur, Ministhre de l'Intirieur, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis, Tunisie. Fax : + 216 1 340 888 M. Abdallah Kallel, Ministre de la Justice, Ministhre de la Justice, Boulevard Bab Benet, Tunis, Tunisie. Fax : + 216 1 568 106/567 070 M. Abderrahim Zouari, Ministre des Affaires Etranghres, Place du Gouvernement, La Kasba, Tunis, Tunisie. Fax : + 216 1 567 050 The Tunisian Embassy in your respective countries. Geneva, September 15th 1997 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply. Ben Schonveld Projects Manager OMCT-SOS-Torture Fax 4122 733 1051 Ph 4122 733 3140 OMCT is: l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture The World Organisation Against Torture OMCT@IPROLINK.CH http://www.omct.org/ OMCT - The World Organisation Against Torture is the Worlds largest network of human rights organisations fighting against all forms of torture, cruel inhuman or degrading treatment, forced disappearances summary execution or other more subtle forms of violent repression. OMCT has consultative status with the UN, The ILO and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytfem-09.20.97-15:25:10-12637