The Ministry of Justice called, Tuesday evening, on the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) to respect the obligations provided for in the memorandum of understanding signed on July 10, 2015, which governs prison visits carried out by its delegations. A development intended, according to the ministry, to guarantee the continuation of this cooperation.
In its press release, the ministry denied the existence of an implicit decision putting an end to the memorandum, contrary to what has been put forward in several declarations from the League and some of its regional sections. He claimed to have noted, on several occasions, failures by the LTDH to fulfill the commitments mentioned in Articles 8 and 9 of the text, particularly in terms of neutrality and transparency.
According to the same source, these failures resulted in the dissemination of information deemed inaccurate concerning the situation of certain detainees, without respecting the procedures provided for by the convention. The ministry insisted on the need to comply with the rules established to maintain credibility and the common working framework.
Protection of human rights
He also reaffirmed his commitment to the protection of human rights within penitentiary establishments, as well as the application of international standards in terms of transparency and good practices.
For its part, the League had indicated in recent days that several of its delegations had been prevented from visiting prisons in Gafsa, Mahdia, Belli, El Nadhour and Borj Roumi, citing a de facto blockage in access to these structures.
The dispute between the two parties highlights the sensitivity of the prison issue in Tunisia and the importance of the role of civil society in monitoring detention conditions. Future discussions should determine whether the 2015 memorandum will remain an operational framework or require revision.
