126 results

As Tunisia Prepares to Hear Nation’s Truth, New Alliances Amplify Women’s Voices

As Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission (TDC) prepares to hear the testimonies of thousands of citizens, ICTJ is assisting women’s groups in ensuring that their voices are heard in the process.

05/21/15
In Focus

Tunisia's Proposed "Reconciliation Law" Would Grant Amnesty for Corruption, Fail to Grow the Economy

The Tunisian government reintroduced a bill that, if passed, would grant a path for reconciliation to corrupt business people and Ben Ali-era officials. They claim it will stimulate the economy, but economics professor Dr. Abdeljelil Bédoui explains why this law is not the solution.

07/21/16
In Focus

Tunisia's "Reconciliation Bill" Threatens Gains of the Revolution

In this op-ed, ICTJ's President David Tolbert expresses concern about the new "Reconciliation Bill" proposed by the Tunisian government, which would grant amnesty to corrupt business people and Ben Ali-era officials in the guise of "reconciliation." "Massive corruption and violent human rights violations are mutually reinforcing, and unless this linkage is exposed and broken, it can lead to mutually reinforcing impunity," writes Tolbert.

08/17/15
In Focus

Tunisia’s Specialized Judicial Chambers: Q&A with Judge Walid Melki

In this interview, Judge Walid Melki explains how Tunisia's Specialized Judicial Chambers will investigate and prosecute serious human rights violations.

09/02/14
In Focus

Tunisia’s Transition Imperiled

Hailed as one of the only success stories to emerge out of the Arab Spring, Tunisia is now facing a significant challenge to its democratic progress. On July 25, Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, enacted Article 80 of the Tunisia Constitution giving him emergency powers to protect the country from imminent threats. He then used these powers to suspend parliament, lift parliamentary immunity, and fire the prime minister as well as the ministers of justice and defense.

09/01/21

by

Anna Myriam Roccatello

World Report

Tunisia in Transition: One Year After the Creation of the Truth and Dignity Commission

This briefing paper details and analyzes the progress made so far in Tunisia to implement its historic Transitional Justice Law, with a particular focus on the Truth and Dignity Commission, created one year ago.

by

Reem El Gantri

Briefing Paper

Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission Resumes Public Hearings - December 16

Following two days of historic public testimony last month, Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission's second set of public hearings continue. Watch the livesteam below and follow us on twitter at @theICTJ for live coverage.

12/16/16
In Focus

Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission Winds Down, ICTJ Experts Reflect on Impact

As the work of Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission winds down, ICTJ's Salwa El Gantri and Kelli Muddell discuss some of the challenges and successes of its work and their vision for transparent, participatory processes to advance Tunisia’s transitional justice mandate in the short and long term.

12/20/18
In Focus

Tunisia: Uphold Rights While Fighting Terrorism

ICTJ joins groups calling for an anti-terrorism approach that respects citizens' rights in Tunisia. “Institutional reform can be a strong tool to prevent recurrence of human rights abuses and build a strong and credible democracy in Tunisia," said Salwa El Gantri, ICTJ Head of Office in Tunisia. "The current transitional justice process aims to shed light on similar violations that took place under the dictatorship, and we don’t want them to be committed again under the ‘fight against terrorism’ slogan.”

04/28/16
Press Releases

Tunisian Activists Oppose Law That Would Grant Amnesty to Corruption

Tunisian activists have taken to the streets this month to protest the proposed Economic Reconciliation Law recently revived in parliament. If approved, the bill would offer a path for corrupt Ben Ali-era officials and business people to legalize their stolen assets and secure a form of amnesty.

07/22/16
In Focus

“Tunisian Spring” Continues, But Challenges Remain

Tunisia has faced many challenges since the launch of the National Dialogue on Transitional Justice two years ago, including political assassinations that rocked the process as well as a number of political blockages. Yet the Tunisian people came through a complex and challenging process and achieved important results — results that can provide the foundation to confront a long legacy of human rights abuses and pave the way towards a democratic transition built on the rule of law and trust between citizens and the state.

07/08/14
In Focus

An Unfinished Revolution: Tackling Corruption in Tunisia

Tunis—Youth activists from across Tunisia, representatives of state institutions, and experts from international nongovernmental organizations gathered on July 10, 2019, to discuss challenges to pursuing accountability for corruption crimes committed during the Ben Ali dictatorship and practical steps that civil society and government can take to overcome these challenges.

07/25/19

by

Christopher Boland

In Focus

Voices of Memory: Living Memorial for Women Victims of the Dictatorship

On September 22, 2018, the International Center for Transitional Justice and the University of Birmingham launched Voices of Memory, an interactive exhibition inspired by a group of nine Tunisian women from across the country and from different generations. It is the first collective te...

Photos

In Wake of Dictatorship, Civil Society in Tunisia Prepares to Help Women Speak Their Truth

After emerging from its revolution with a new constitution and a comprehensive transitional justice law, Tunisia is setting into motion a process to learn the truth about the country’s time under repressive rule.

05/13/14
In Focus

“It Was A Mob:” Tunisian Victims Testify to Torture in Day Two of Truth and Dignity Commission’s Public Hearings

“I hesitated a lot before giving this testimony. But after much debate I decided to. History is not to be written in the palaces." That’s how Bechir Laabidi opened testimony on day two of public hearings at Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission, where Tunisians continued to write the history of the country from the victims’ perspective. This final day of testimony focused on torture perpetrated by the dictatorship, with eight victims sharing their stories into the early hours of the morning.

11/18/16
In Focus

“It Was a Way to Destroy Our Lives:” Tunisian Women Speak Out on Religious Discrimination

For decades, veiled women in Tunisia were deprived of their rights and discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Now, they’re joining together to tell their stories and seek justice from the Tunisian government.

06/14/16
In Focus

Watch: Tunisia Truth and Dignity Commission Hears Public Testimony

On the 39th anniversary of Tunisia's "Black Thursday," the Truth and Dignity Commission continues its public hearings.

01/26/17
In Focus

“Who Hears My Voice Today?”: Tunisia’s Forgotten Women Victims

This report focuses on “indirect victims” of human rights violations in Tunisia, namely, the wives, sisters, and children of political prisoners in Tunisia, who suffered discrimination, social exclusion, police violence, and harassment during the dictatorship. Presenting documentation...

by

Dr. Doris H. Gray

Report

With Violence Against Women on the Rise Around the World, ICTJ’s Gender Modules Offer a Timely Training Tool

In what UN Women describes as the “shadow pandemic,” rates of violence against women have soared since the public health and economic crises brought about by COVID-19. With stay-at-home orders in place in countries around the world, women are more susceptible than ever to domestic violence. In countries affected by conflict or repressive rule, all forms of sexual and gender-based violence are on the rise. The ICTJ Gender Modules offer a timely tool to raise awareness about these issues and help develop gender-sensitive responses to them.

12/21/20
In Focus

Women’s Rights at the Heart of Justice and Democracy

For 112 years, International Women’s Day has marked a time to celebrate the achievement of women and raise awareness about gender inequality. On March 8th, this year’s campaign of #EmbraceEquity will shine a spotlight on women’s contribution to various fields, while highlighting the challenges they face in other industries. Eliminating the barriers to women’s access to economic, political, and social resources is fundamental to creating and maintaining a stable democratic society. Often at the core of repressive regimes is a systematic effort to exercise control over the lives of women. Similarly, an erosion of the rights of women in “stable” democracies is often a harbinger of a broader attack on the rights of citizens.

03/01/23

by

Kelli Muddell

A crowd stands in protest holding a large banner with "Women, Life, Freedom" in front of themselves.
World Report

Women Voices from Prison: A Virtual Tour Brings to Life a Legacy of Brutal Repression in Tunisia

Tunis, August 12, 2020 —As the world today commemorates International Youth Day and Tunisia observes it National Women’s Day on August 13, ICTJ is launching the Voices of Memory virtual tour, in partnership with the Voices of Memory Collective, an intergenerational group of Tunisian women, and the University of Birmingham. The result of a collaboration between the Voices of Memory Collective and Tunisian artists, the virtual tour allows visitors to explore and interact with an online version of the widely successful Voices of Memory exhibition that traveled throughout Tunisia in 2018.

08/12/20
Press Releases

Work, Freedom, Dignity: For Young Tunisians, the Revolution Was Not Only About Accountability for Corruption

Building on its work in Tunisia since 2012, ICTJ met with representatives of youth-led civil society organizations and social movements and state institutions involved in pursuing accountability for Ben Ali-era corruption. This paper focuses on the strategies and insights that members...

by

Ruben Carranza and Mohamed Azer Zouari

Briefing Paper

Writing the Unvoiced: Tunisian Women Break the Silence About Repression

The impact of Tunisia's transitional justice process is rooted in its ability to give voice to diverse segments of the population, including historically marginalized communities. A workshop hosted by ICTJ brought generations of women together to explore truth-telling techniques and create space for all voices.

04/17/17
In Focus

A Wrong Turn for Human Rights

In this op-ed, ICTJ President David Tolbert says states are backsliding on their human rights commitments, and urges the international community to redouble its resolve for justice and accountability.

09/04/14
In Focus

'You Can Change the Course of a Country:' Report on the International Gender Symposium

In February 2019, ICTJ hosted an international symposium on gender and transitional justice in Tunisia that brought together representatives from eight countries where ICTJ has been actively engaged in implementing a gender-focused approach to its programming. This briefing paper pres...

by

Sibley Hawkins

Briefing Paper

“If You Don’t Believe in Human Rights, What Are You Doing in Journalism?” du Preez on Transitional Justice and Media

Later this month, Tunisians will have an opportunity to hear the truth about the dictatorship's abuses directly from victims in a series of public hearings hosted by the Truth and Dignity Commission. However, in order for these public testimonies to be effective, the media must cover victims' stories fully and explore the issues underpinning their experiences. South African journalist Max du Preez spoke with his Tunisian counterparts to help prepare them for the challenges they will face. We sat down with him afterwards to discuss the role of media in transitional justice processes.
11/02/16
In Focus