(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Bechir Takkari, RSF expressed its deep concern on the eve of the opening of the trial of Saïda Ben Brik and Khemaies Mejri, sister and brother-in-law of Taoufik Ben Brik, respectively. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister to “consult with the relevant authorities to ensure […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Bechir Takkari, RSF expressed its deep concern on the eve of the opening of the trial of Saïda Ben Brik and Khemaies Mejri, sister and brother-in-law of Taoufik Ben Brik, respectively. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister to “consult with the relevant authorities to ensure that the charges are dropped.” “Once again, the Tunisian authorities have not hesitated to attack Taoufik Ben Brik’s relatives, in order to punish him for his statements and writings. This trial, for which there are no grounds, is a real farce,” he said. “We feel that the Tunisian regime is taking advantage of the international media’s focus on the follow-up to the events of 11 September in order to increase the repression of dissidents,” Ménard added.
According to information collected by RSF, Saïda Ben Brik, Taoufik Ben Brik’s sister, and her husband Mejri, were to appear before the Tunis High Court on 29 September 2001. Following a complaint by one of their neighbours, they are charged with “mutual violence and participating in an altercation.” Saïda Ben Brik’s husband is also charged with “breach of accepted standards of good behaviour,” “not respecting other people’s property” and “being insulting.”
On 11 October 1999, during the presidential election campaign, Mejri was assaulted in the street, for no apparent reason, by one of his neighbours, Mohammed Chalghoum, a Democratic
Constitutional Union (Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique, RCD, ruling party) official. The Khaznadar police station in Tunis refused to register the victim’s complaint. The next day, Mejri was beaten again, this time more brutally, by the same man, who also assaulted his wife, Saïda Ben Brik, and their two daughters, Rim, aged 12, and Nour, aged 7. Once again, the registration of the complaint was rejected.
By contrast, following Chalghoum’s complaint, Saïda Ben Brik, and Mejri were sumonned on 20 June. This summons was launched almost one month after the broadcast of the programme “Le Grand Maghreb”, on Al Mustakillah (a London-based Arabic-language television station), during which Taoufik Ben Brik announced his candidacy for the 2004 presidential election.
