Saturday, February 19, 2011

Log in force in Tunisia general amnesty for political prisoners

.- The general amnesty for political prisoners in force today in Tunis after the signing by the Tunisian president Acting Mebaza Fuad, the decree applicable law, official news agency TAP said. Under this provision, which was decided on Friday, all those tried or prosecuted before January 14, 2011 will benefit from this amnesty.

Secretary of State to the Prime Minister Ridha Belhadj was quoted by the TAP, said that this decree law puts an end to "a period of abuses and violations, open an era of reconciliation and prepare the objective conditions" for a transitional period and the organization of elections "in the best possible conditions." He explained that the crimes covered by this amnesty concern the internal security of the State were brought to justice under the law on terrorism, the press law and the laws on demonstrations, as well as communications code, different items Penal Code and other regulations, in particular the Code of Military.

This decision also provides that any person prosecuted under the common law crimes for their political or union activities, would benefit from the amnesty, he said. Belhadj said the decree law establishes mechanisms they return to work and the principle of reparation to the persons concerned.

Last week the National Assembly (Congress) and House of Councillors (Senate) approved grant full powers to the president to rule by decree, thereby avoiding the need to pass laws in Parliament, from the old regime. Therefore, once the government gave its approval to the general amnesty only required a presidential decree to approve final legislation.

The first Transitional Government of Tunisia, with several ministers of the former regime in key positions, and adopted a draft law on general amnesty few days after the flight from the country of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, on 14 January. However, the project was not officially adopted or developed and many Tunisians reported in recent weeks that hundreds of political prisoners remained in prison.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Ministry of Justice to demand the release of their imprisoned relatives, despite the country's authorities said they had been released and about three thousand prisoners. During the 23-year term of Ben Ali, thousands of political opponents were imprisoned, especially those belonging to Islamist parties or movements, against those who unleashed a ferocious repression during the nineties.

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