Tunisia urged to support courts trying torturers

ATunisian commission tasked with securing justice for victims of decades of dictatorship called Friday at its final congress for authorities to back the work of special courts set up to judge torturers.

The body — which has faced internal disputes and political resistance arising from the return of former regime figures to government — also called for security sector reform.

Established in 2014 after the revolution that brought the downfall of dictator Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali, the Truth and Dignity Institute has a mission to “reveal the truth about the human rights violations” in Tunisia between 1955 and 2013.

It is to submit its main findings — based on interviews with nearly 50,000 witnesses — to Tunisia’s leadership by the end of the year, when its mandate ends.

The commission “will recommend the preservation of memory and the protection of the judicial process,” said its head Sihem Bin Sedrine.

She called on authorities to support 13 specialised courts set up to judge the abuses, and to “clean up the security and the justice” sectors.

Bin Sedrine also highlighted the importance of prosecuting “white-collar” thieves, many of whom are still in Tunisia, and forcing them to “give money back to the people”.