Tunisian government accused of sabotaging human rights critics

Tunis - Amnesty International, the London-based human rights organization, has accused the government of Tunisia of harassing, obstructing and sabotaging several human rights groups and initiatives in the country. However, Tunisian officials deny allegations.

“The European Union must press Tunisia to stop the harassment of human rights activists who are trying to bring the country’s human rights record to the EU’s attention,” stated Amnesty International in a press release on Monday. According to the human rights group, the Tunisian government has attempted to sabotage several human rights groups, campaigns and civil society groups in the country, which has drawn concern from the government who is attempting to gain “advanced status” in the European Union. Reuters reports that Tunisian government officials have stated they are committed to democracy and human rights. The officials believe this criticism will draw considerable unwanted attention from EU capitals and that will further complicate their application. Since 1987, the government has reformed its political system several times, including abolishing life Presidency and allowing opposition parties in the Parliament. Nevertheless, Amnesty's Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said in a statement that human rights activists and others are accused by the government of being “unpatriotic and relinquishing the honor of belonging to Tunisia, before being harassed and intimidated.” The Financial Times reports that Tunisian officials told the United Nations Human Rights Committee in April that they encourage human rights activists and even protect them and “provide them with the appropriate legal framework to carry out their legal activities.”