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Flagrant violation of human rights at Tunis By APCNews writing from Tunis, Tunisia 14/11/2005 13:23 [Civil society participation, Freedom of expression] (1 Comments) Under the incredulous eyes of the participants at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), journalists and human rights defenders were manhandled, insulted, and then violently beaten. At 09.30 am on Monday, November 14, 2005, at the Place dAfrique in Tunis, more than 30 plainclothes policemen impatiently awaited international and Tunisian delegates and members of civil society. Omar Mestiri, Director of the online magazine Kalima and a founder member of the National Council for Freedom in Tunisia (Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie CNLT) was seized as soon as he arrived at the site for the meeting of the coordinating committee of the Citizens Summit on the Information Society (CSIS). Bombarded with blows and insults, Mr. Mestiri kept his calm, before he was able to break away from the group of plainclothes policemen. The 30 men in plainclothes first laid into Om Zied, the chief editor of Kalima magazine, a publication that investigates corruption, documents attacks on human rights, and highlights the improper operations of the Tunisian legal system, and facts of society. Faced with incessant aggression by the authorities, Om Zied, a member of the CNLT (an organisation supported by the Dutch section of Amnesty International, amongst others) made his way to a taxi, and left the site. The law enforcement agents shouted, manhandled, and tried to physically intimidate the on-site Tunisian journalists. When members of international NGOs, such as the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Human Rights Watch, the Danish Human Rights Institute and other civil society representatives tried to intervene, the police officers moved away, and manhandled the international delegates in turn. "They grabbed hold of me and shook me violently as I sought to appeal for calm", explains an infuriated Anriette Esterhuysen, Executive Director of APC. "There is democracy in Tunisia, but this is a bad lot", shouted one of the police officers before beating Omar Mestiri about the head, then on his back. Several taxis were called and flight was then possible. This article was written in an apartment in the Passage area, in the centre of Tunis, where CNLT has its permanent headquarters. There, the telephone is blocked, and so are several websites. CNLT permanent member and researcher, sociologist Sami Nasr explained to us that these repressive measures are a common occurrence, but mentions that "police brutality is particularly virulent against initiatives such as the CSIS". This fringe event of the WSIS, which is linked to it, but held outside the exhibition hall, is an initiative co-organised by independent Tunisian NGOs, the Tunisian free press, and international NGOs. The event, which is under a lot of pressure from the Tunisian authorities, is concerned with issues raised in the WSIS, but which do not have repercussions or a significant impact on internet governance negotiations. Human rights and freedom of the press are a part of it. "We are not prepared to let this intimidation block our democratic will, the CSIS will take place," Mestiri finally adds, in a decided tone. CSIS needs your immediate support. To express your support of the Citizens Summit, send an email with the name of your organisation. Or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] See also: Story posted 09.30 Monday, November 14, 2005 in French in the APC WSIS Blog Story translated by APC for APC WSIS Blog Register a CSIS event << Go to the main blog page ------------------------------------------------- I suport publicly the CSIS date: 14 Nov 2005 14:20 GMT author: Neila Charchour Hachicha I suport publicly the CSIS but I don't want to be beaten. Therefore I won't come like thousands others that are concious of this situation but are not ready to be publicly humiliated. We want our rights without violence. Thanks and million Thanks to all those who have the courage to face brutality for the sake of our freedom of expression. We need the world to know and to react against this brutality. Finally you also need to read this France Asks Tunisia About Beating Of French Reporter 13 November 2005 Dow Jones International News (c) 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. PARIS (AP)--France's Foreign Ministry said Sunday it has asked Tunisian authorities for answers about the stabbing of a French reporter in the North African nation. Christophe Boltanski of Liberation newspaper was investigating the recent beating of human rights activists in Tunisia when he was stopped Friday by four men who kicked him and stabbed him in the back. They also took his bag of notebooks. Boltanski, reached by The Associated Press, said he was able to return to his hotel, and a doctor gave him four stitches. The French Foreign Ministry urged Tunisia to guarantee the safety of journalists during the U.N.'s World Summit on the Information Society, which starts Wednesday in Tunis. "We have told Tunisian authorities in Paris and in Tunis that we are counting on them to shed full light on the attack," the ministry said in a statement. Tunisian authorities said Saturday that they had opened an inquiry into the beating and that two suspects had been arrested. With a tightly controlled press, Tunisia has faced ongoing criticism from human rights groups for failure to open up freedom of _expression. Last week, media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said its director had been barred from attending the summit, calling the decision "absurd" and "unacceptable." Reply [GOTO LINK --> http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?AA_SL_Session=db3e2e662eae23ac7362c7298c1c5428&nocache=invalidate&sh_itm=29c1bd4455de830ac80f167aa4ab0d1d&all_ids=1#disc zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Comment: 11-16-05 @ 2:15 AM/PST Greetings All Humane Beings ~ I strongly suspect that the growing Power of the Internet and progressive people of varying degrees and diversified interests who learning exponentially how to wisely utilize the Internet in terms of Websites, Blogs, Emails and IMs is sure to make those who are now 'in power and secure' feel more and more really powerless and extremely insecure because of the massive wealth of news, education and information that is being transmitted in these times via the Internet. Thus, helping to bring more and more humane minds of reason and compassion together who are out of the real control of illegal and immoral 'official' police and military powers. Even U.S. soldiers stuck in Iraq are postings Anti-Iraq-nam / Pro-Peace Blogs. Indeed, quality education can be an equalizer but we also need an array of equalizers, especially global, regional and local mass movements that advocate, promote and work hard for true liberation for all of us upon Mother Earth. Help Build Bridges, Not Borders! Peter S. Lopez {aka Peta} ~ Field Coordinator Sacramento, California USA Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/ http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/sacranative Fight Back Against Amerikan Fascism! Peter S. Lopez {aka Peta}- Field Coordinator Sacramento, California, USA http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Immigrant-Rights-Agenda/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/THIRD-WORLD-EARTH-NEWS/ http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/sacranative __________________________________ Yahoo! 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