Abdel Fattah Al-Taghouti

Released, banned from traveling

Card Contents

About

Position/Affiliation
In charge of the Ennahdha Movement’s media office

Date of birth
June 7, 1977

Occupation
Former public employee

Nationality
Tunisian

Date Targeted

March 14, 2023

Current Status

Released, banned from traveling

Charges

Conspiracy against state security

Cases and Violations

Judicial authority
Anti-Terrorism Judicial Pole

March 14, 2023: Al-Taghouti was arrested in the case of conspiring against state security by the National Guard in the state of Ben Arous, south of the capital, Tunis, and his car was impounded.
March 27, 2023: The investigating judge at the Counter-Terrorism Judicial Pole decided to keep six defendants, including Al-Taghouti, on bail, to be interrogated during the month of April in a case related to suspected conspiracy against state security. The judge also decided to prohibit them from traveling until they are interrogated during the month of April.
August 21, 2023: Al-Taghouti was arrested again after he went to the judicial police station in Ariana to retrieve his car, where he was informed that there was a search warrant against him. Lawyer Samir Dilou stated that Al-Taghouti will appear before the judicial unit Ariana, which had issued the search warrant, then Bouchoucha, which is in charge of the case and then the investigation judge at the anti-terrorism judicial pole. Lawyer Samir Dilou confirmed that the defense team will file a case against anyone who will be revealed by the investigation into the arbitrary detention of Abdel Fattah Al-Taghouti, and that Al-Taghouti is in detention by order o the Ariana court, which constitutes a procedural error because the Tunis court is the only one authorized to consider cases of a terrorist nature.
August 22, 2023: Al-Taghouti was released a day after his arrest.

Sources

Call to Action

Website petition: Freedom for prisoners of conscience and activists in Tunisia!

Tunisia is no longer the Arab exception that inspired the world in 2011 with a heroic revolution that overthrew the rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled for nearly 23 years after seizing power on November 7, 1987, in a coup against Habib Bourguiba.

In a similar and perhaps more dangerous move, on the night of July 25, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied carried out a “constitutional coup” in accordance with his personal interpretation of Article 80 of the 2014 Revolutionary Constitution, announcing that he had taken a set of exceptional measures due to the “imminent danger” that threatens Tunisia without providing any details or reasons.

In accordance with these measures, Saied dismissed the government and the prime minister Hichem Mechichi who was present at the National Security Council that night at the Carthage Palace, and claimed that he had contacted the Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi (leader of the Ennahdha party) to consult with him in accordance with what is stipulated by the constitution, a claim which Ghannouchi denied since the call was general and did not include anything about exceptional measures or any consultation on the matter. The president suspended Parliament and later dissolved it in March 2022.

Not only did Saied seek to bypass his powers and the articles of the Constitution, which he swore to protect before the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, but he went on to dismiss and change the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council after redefining the judiciary it as a “function” rather than an independent authority. He further replaced members of the Supreme Electoral Commission in preparation for the referendum he held in order to vote on a constitution that he wrote himself after dismissing the proposals of the drafting committee he had himself appointed. Then legislative elections were held over two rounds, in which the participation rate did not exceed 8% of the total number of voters, with the Election Commission later announcing that it had reached 11%, which is the lowest participation rate in Tunisia and globally.

On February 11, President Saied’s regime launched a campaign of protests that has not stopped since, against political leaders, media figures, journalists, judges and senior officials and civil servants, for charges of “conspiring against the security of the state and committing an offensive act against the President of the Republic,” in addition to other charges that were referred to the military prosecution, leading one to wonder about the implication of the Tunisian army in the actions taken by Saied.

The arbitrary arrests were marred by several procedural violations amid criticism from prominent international organizations and observatories in the field of human rights. The standards of litigation and detention period and conditions were not respected. Prosecution and harassment sometimes extended to the detainees’ families, and no evidence, and in many cases, no charges against them were presented.

Moreover trade unions and political parties continue to be subjected to constant harassment and restrictions. Saied continues to target all “intermediary bodies” accusing them of “collaboration” or “treason”. Civil society associations have also been subjected to prosecution, arbitrary arrests and deprivation from representation, in a context of of increasing violence in society due to the authorities’ adoption of racist and discriminatory speeches and rhetoric inciting infighting and violating human dignity.

In light of the above, we, the undersigned, demand the following:

Call for the immediate release of all political detainees, immediately and unconditionally. We also urge the Tunisian authorities to recognize the national and the international human rights treaties they have ratified.
Call on the Tunisian authorities to stop dismantling the nascent democracy and put an end to unfair trials and prosecutions against political opponents of the regime and anyone who criticises it.
Call on all activists and observers to join the national movement for restoring democracy and ending authoritarian rule that has taken Tunisia back to despotism, injustice, and violations of rights and freedoms.