United Nations expresses concerns over Tunisian repression
We are closely watching the demonstrations across Tunisia and the authorities’ response to them. We are concerned about the high number of arrests – 778 people have been arrested since Monday, some 200 of them between the ages of 15 and 20. We call on the authorities to ensure that people are not arrested in an arbitrary manner, and that all those detained are treated with full respect for their due process rights and other fundamental guarantees.
The authorities must ensure that those exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are not prevented from doing so. Ahead of the 14 January anniversary of the 2011 revolution, it is particularly important to ensure that demonstrators are able to protest peacefully.
We understand there has been looting, vandalism and violence, including damage to police stations and shops. We call on all those taking to the streets to exercise restraint and calm. Peaceful demonstrators must not be held responsible or penalised for the violent acts of others.
We urge all sides to work together towards resolving, with full respect for human rights, the economic and social problems underpinning the unrest. The UN Human Rights Office in Tunisia will continue to closely monitor the situation.
Tag and share – Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page athttp://www.standup4humanrights.org
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
Click here to send Ray Hanania email.
Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
- Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues - March 18, 2023
- AHRC Holds Meet and Greet with MDOC - March 13, 2023
- Illinois Review skewers Mayor Lightfoot ally Ramzi Hassan - February 22, 2023
