M. Abdallah Kallel
Ministre de la Justice
Ministère de la Justice
Boulevard Bab Benat
Tunis, Tunisia

Your Excellency:

I wish to express my concern for the health, safety and continued imprisonment of Abdel Moumen Belanes, a university student who was arrested on 6 March 1997 outside Monastir Court. At the time of his arrest he was attending a hearing regarding a retrial of an earlier case against him where he had been sentenced to prison for his membership in the Union de la Jeunesse Communiste (UJC) and participating in unauthorized meetings. On 1 April he was tried on charges of disturbing the public order and on 8 April he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

I understand that this young man has been held at Nahdor Prison since his arrest where, on at least two separate occasions -- 30 April and 2 May -- he was tortured by twelve of the prison guards. Reportedly, the guards beat him with truncheons all over his body, including the soles of his feet. He was confined in a punishment cell until 22 May, and during that time he was fed only a little bread and water every 24 hours and was not permitted to bathe. On 22 May he was moved to a cell with 14 other prisoners, but he has no bed and so sleeps on the floor. Because of the poor conditions of his imprisonment, he is now in bad health.

I am deeply concerned about Abdel Moumen Belanes’ imprisonment and the brutal torture he has endured at the hands of prison guards. Please use the power of your office to ensure that he is not subjected to further torture or ill-treatment during his imprisonment. I urge that he be granted immediate access to any medical care he may need. I also request that his family and lawyers be allowed to visit him. I understand that his family has not been permitted to see him since 29 April, and his lawyers, who were allowed to visit him on 26 May, have again been denied visitation. In addition, I strongly urge you to call for a full, independent and impartial inquiry into the reports of his torture by prison guards, make the results public, and bring the perpetrators to justice. Surely you know that such acts of torture violate international human rights standards and should never be tolerated or sanctioned by any government.

And finally, Your Excellency, I find it very troubling that Abdel Moumen Belanes was arrested and imprisoned at all. Please understand that my concern is not in any way political. I believe he is being held solely for the peaceful expression of his political views, not for disturbing the public order. To my knowledge he has neither used nor advocated the use of violence. I am also concerned that his trial in April was not conducted in accordance with international standards of fairness. Therefore, I respectfully request his immediate and unconditional release. Abdel Moumen Belanes has committed no crime and should be free.

Respectfully yours,