The organization considers him a prisoner of conscience, who continues to be detained solely for the peaceful expression of his opinion after he published articles denouncing torture in Tunisia and criticizing the Tunisian authorities.

On 28 November 2005, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Mohammed Abbou's detention was arbitrary and in violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It called upon the Tunisian government to remedy the situation and ensure that the treatment of Mohammed Abbou was consistent with international standards.

In spite of this, Mohammed Abbou remains detained in El-Kef, 200km from his home in Tunis where his family resides. His lawyers have reportedly been denied permission on several occasions to visit him in prison and his wife has been physically assaulted or otherwise intimidated during a number of her visits.


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Your Excellency,
I am writing to express my concern at the continued imprisonment of lawyer and human rights defender Mohammed Abbou, who marked the second anniversary of his detention on 1 March 2007.
I urge you to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mohammed Abbou as a prisoner of conscience who was imprisoned solely for the legitimate and peaceful expression of his beliefs. His continued imprisonment violates Tunisia’s obligations under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In the meantime, I appeal to you to ensure that Mohammed Abbou’s family are able to visit him without facing harassment.
As I am sure you know, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in 2005 that Abbou’s detention was arbitrary and in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
As a member of the Human Rights Council, Tunisia has an opportunity to show its commitment to human rights by respecting its international human rights obligations and releasing Mohammed Abbou.

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Please send appeals to:

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali President of the Republic
Palais Présidentiel
Tunis
Tunisia

Fax: + 216 71 744 721 / 731 009

Salutation: Your Excellency/Excellence



Béchir Tekkari Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Ministère de la Justice et de Droits de l’Homme
31 Boulevard Bab Benat
1006 Tunis - La Kasbah
Tunisia

Fax: + 216 71 568 106

E-mail:  mju@ministeres.tn