Cable sobre Mohamed Abbou, dos a?os en prisi¨®n por dos 'posts'
| ID: | 58416 |
| Date: | 2006-03-28 12:26:00 |
| Origin: | 06TUNIS730 |
| Source: | Embassy Tunis |
| Classification: | CONFIDENTIAL |
| Dunno: | 06TUNIS425 |
| Destination: | VZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHTU #0730/01 0871226 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 281226Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0251 INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 7185 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1252 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1558 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 8121 |
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000730 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/MAG FOR LAWRENCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016 TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KPAO, TS SUBJECT: ABBOU UPDATE REF: TUNIS 425 Classified By: Ambassador William Hudson for Reasons 1.4 b and d 1. (C) Summary: After a year in prison, Mohamed Abbou, jailed after posting two Internet articles critical of the GOT, President Ben Ali and his family, continues to receive attention and support from local and international human rights groups. The Tunisian Human Rights League head calls Abbou "the most flagrant example of Tunisia's poor human rights record." Abbou started his second hunger strike March 11 to protest harassment and restrictions on family visits. According to his wife, Samia Abbou, family members have in recent weeks been prevented from conducting normal weekly prison visits, and Samia herself was reportedly detained at length at Tunis' international airport while traveling to and from Geneva to drum up support for her husband's cause. Abbou, a lawyer without a history of political opposition and without known ideological ties to Islamists, continues to represent a rallying point for activists across the board who support freedom of expression. End Summary. 2. (C) More than a year into a three and half year sentence for a trumped up assault charge and "spreading false news and inciting public disorder" following the on-line publication of articles comparing Tunisia's prisons to Abu Ghraib and Tunisian president Ben Ali to Ariel Sharon, Mohamed Abbou continues to motivate the international and domestic human rights community. In a recent press conference, Tunisian Human Rights League President Mohktar Trifi called the case of Abbou "the most flagrant example of Tunisia's poor human rights record." Gamal Eid, Executive Director of Egypt-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information recently referred to Abbou as "the most famous Arab prisoner of opinion." Numerous organizations continue to petition the GOT for Abbou's release. 3. (C) On March 11, Mohamed Abbou began his second hunger strike since his incarceration on March 1, 2005 to protest worsening detention conditions and the refusal of full familial visiting privileges. According to domestic human rights groups and Abbou's wife, Abbou has been subjected to harassment in prison following a demonstration that was blocked by GOT authorities March 2 in front of the Kef prison in northwestern Tunisia where Abbou is incarcerated. Abbou allegedly has been awoken late at night by prison guards for random searches of his cell and has suffered "harassment" from fellow detainees, allegedly incited by prison authorities. Samia Abbou told Poloff that regular family visits to Kef prison have been significantly limited or blocked completely since March 2. Abbou said that she has been followed on the 300 km drive from Tunis to Kef and stopped by authorities up to 12 times en route. Furthermore, Samia Abbou reported that she had been detained for up to six hours by authorities at the Tunis International Airport while traveling to and from Geneva to attend solidarity meetings for her husband. She told poloff that police confiscated a photo of Mohamed Abbou from her without citing any reason for the seizure. 4. (C) Following the February 2 release of over 1600 prisoners, including approximately 80 political prisoners (reftel), many interlocutors were disappointed that Abbou was not among those pardoned. On the same day as press reports of the presidential pardon, local newspapers also reported that officials from the Ministry of Justice asked the Tunis Bar Association to ensure that Mohamed Abbou could not conduct any activities related to his profession as a lawyer while serving his prison sentence. This announcement followed rumors that Abbou might be nominated as a candidate for the presidency of the NGO the Young Lawyers Association (YLA), a group that, once renowned for its independence, has in recent years allegedly been coopted by pro-ruling party RCD leadership. Legal contacts said that an Abbou candidacy for the YLA would have been supported widely due to the fame of his case, and could effectively challenge the current RCD power monopoly in the organization. 5. (C) Comment: NGO representatives, human rights activists, and Samia Abbou continue to seek USG assistance in efforts to free Mohamed Abbou. Some of these interlocutors have suggested that the USG maintains a distance from Abbou because he is perceived as an Islamist, a claim his wife laughingly rejects. Although we point to public statements and multiple demarches on the Abbou case as examples of our efforts on his behalf, the "Free Abbou" community will continue to seek USG intervention as long as he remains imprisoned. End Comment. HUDSON |
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