EMBASSY OFFICERS BLOCKED FROM MEETING HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 002501

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG FOR HOPKINS, HARRIS
NSC/NESA
NEA/PPD FOR ALBERTO FERNANDEZ AND DAVID FOLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL KPAO TS
SUBJECT: EMBASSY OFFICERS BLOCKED FROM MEETING HUMAN RIGHTS
ORGANIZATION IN BIZERTE

REF: A. TUNIS 2408


B. TUNIS 1308

C. TUNIS 622

Classified By: CDA David Ballard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary and Action Request: Embassy officers traveled
to the northern city of Bizerte on October 5 to meet with the
local chapter of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH).
Approximately seventeen plain-clothes police physically
barred Emboffs from entering the LTDH compound, which is also
the residence of LTDH chapter president and long-time
opposition activist Ali Ben Salem. LTDH chapters have been
prevented from hosting meetings for over a year, after a
Tunis court ruled that the organization could not take
preparatory actions to hold its Congress, due to a pending
lawsuit against the current national leadership. In light of
this latest, egregious example of continued GOT interference
in the work of Embassy officers, Post suggests Department
reciprocate with the Tunisian Embassy in Washington by
denying certain meeting requests. Post also suggests
Department release a public statement protesting the GOT
action (See para. 6). End Summary and Action Request.


2. (C) Two Emboffs and PolFSN traveled to Bizerte on October
5th to meet with the regional chapter of the LTDH. The
Bizerte chapter, led by Ali Ben Salem, has been a
particularly active section of the LTDH, due in part to its
location near two prisons, and its human rights work on
behalf of prisoners. In June, the Bizerte chapter received
widespread attention when it released a communique alleging
torture of a prisoner at nearby Borj Erroumi prison,
including an allegation that prison guards beat prisoner
Ayman Dridi with a Quran. (ICRC Head of Delegation has
privately questioned the validity of this allegation.) Ben
Salem and other LTDH members were subsequently detained but
later released. LTDH headquarters in Bizerte take up the
lower part of Ben Salem's residence in downtown Bizerte. In
past months, police have reportedly been present in front of
the Ben Salem residence around-the-clock, preventing visitors
from entering, including, according to Ben Salem, members of
his own family. Despite the organization's status as a legal
NGO, LTDH chapters throughout the country have reportedly
been prevented from hosting meetings for over a year, after a
Tunis court ruled that the organization could not take
preparatory actions to hold its Congress due to a pending
lawsuit challenging the current national leadership, led by
lawyer/activist Mokhtar Trifi.


3. (C) Upon arrival, Emboffs immediately noticed the presence
of three plain-clothed policemen in front of the LTDH/Ben
Salem building. Emboffs did not immediately enter the
compound, which was not blocked at this point, as they were
waiting for Lotfi Hajji (President of the Tunisian Journalist
Syndicate, LTDH member, Al Jazeera correspondent, and Bizerte
resident) who had arranged the meeting, to accompany them.
While waiting, the police on scene used their telephones, and
shortly thereafter positioned themselves in front of the
gate, blocking entrance. When asked by Emboff why they could
not enter, one of the policemen said they had instructions,
and to wait until "the boss" arrived. Ben Salem then
appeared in the door behind the police, and, pushing them
from behind, began yelling about the injustices of "the
dictator Ben Ali."


4. (C) Within minutes, more police arrived, and soon there
were at least seventeen plain-clothes security agents,
according to one Emboff's count. The policeman who was
evidently in charge was, according to Hajji, the head of
Bizerte district police. When asked again why Emboffs could
not meet, he said first that "he had instructions", and
secondly, "that there had been a court order that the LTDH
could not meet." Emboff countered that the court order was
reportedly that the LTDH could not prepare to hold its
Congress, and that Emboffs were not meeting with the LTDH to
do so. At least seven other members of the LTDH who had come
for the meeting with Emboffs were also at the scene, and
Emboffs were able to speak with some of them on the premise,
although plain-clothes police would sometimes stand close by
to listen. (NOTE: While several LTDH members shouted at, and
pushed the police officers, the police did not act violently.
Other LTDH members appeared to have a civil, at times even
joking, rapport with the police officers, whom they noted
were only "doing what they were told." END NOTE)


5. (C) Pol/EconCouns asked the policeman-in-charge once more
why Emboffs could not meet with the LTDH members and who had

handed down this instruction. Contradicting what he had said
only minutes earlier to another Emboff, the policeman said
that "it was (my) decision". (NOTE: When Post has complained
previously to the GOT about overbearing police presence
outside of Tunis, the GOT has often chalked it up to local
police acting out of line. We suspect, but cannot confirm,
that the police officer in Bizerte had been speaking to
higher-level officials in Tunis, who told him to say it was
his decision. END NOTE). After approximately forty-five
minutes of waiting to see if the police would allow the
meeting, Emboffs departed, and were followed to the edge of
town by an unmarked police vehicle.


6. (C) Comment and suggestion: While Emboffs were still on
the scene, Charge protested the actions of Bizerte police,
during a concurrent, pre-scheduled meeting at the MFA. The
event in Bizerte is only the latest, albeit a particularly
egregious, example of the GOT's continued actions to
frustrate and limit the work of Embassy officials in Tunisia
(see reftels). Post notes requests for upcoming meetings of
Tunisian Ambassador to Washington Mohamed Nejib Hachana as
well as the proposed November Washington visit of FM
Abdelwahab Abdullah. In light of the continued interference
in the work of Embassy officers, post recommends reciprocity
in the form of denying at least some of the requested
meetings by Hachana and/or FM Abdullah. Post further
recommends Department release a public statement protesting
GOT actions in Bizerte and the continued actions of the GOT
to prevent Embassy officials from conducting their work.
Suggested press guidance/public statement follows:

Question: Can you confirm that Tunisian authorities
prohibited a meeting between Embassy officials and members of
a Tunisian human rights organization? What is your reaction?

Answer:

-- On October 5, 2006 numerous plain-clothes police officials
physically blocked officials of the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia
from entering the premises of the Bizerte chapter of the
Tunisian League for Human Rights.

-- This meeting had been arranged, at the Embassy's request,
to discuss the human rights situation in Tunisia. The LTDH
is an authorized non-governmental organization in Tunisia.

-- The United States Government strongly protests this and
other actions by the Government to limit the freedom of
assembly.

-- As documented in our annual Human Rights Reports and in
statements made from this podium, the U.S. Government has
long been concerned by curbs on fundamental freedoms in
Tunisia. But this action by the Government of Tunisia to
prevent U.S. diplomats from conducting an open meeting with
well known human rights defenders is a particularly egregious
example of these policies.

-- The actions by GOT security agents in Bizerte follow
numerous other instances wherein the GOT has interfered in
the work of U.S. diplomats in Tunisia.

-- Our Charge d'Affaires in Tunis has protested these actions
in Tunisia, and we will be following up here in Washington.

End text.

End Comment and Action Request.
BALLARD