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BENEATH THE JASMINE. Stories of repression in tunisia
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beneath the jasminestories of repression in tunisia
photographs by augustin le gall
tunisia portrait of a revolution 2011-2014 project
2012-2014
Repression and torture were a key means of oppression under the Bourguiba and Ben Ali regimes. Political and human rights activists, lawyers, bloggers, student, citizens and many other people have been victims of violence, abuses, harassment and psychological and physical torture .
However, before the popular uprising between December 2010 and January 2011, Tunisia remained a favorite of international tourism where jasmine decorated postcards of the country.
After the revolution of January 2011 and the writing of a new constitution three years on, which is based on the values of democracy and freedom, Tunisia is facing it’s history.
This series of intimate portraits tells us the story of these men and women who underwent this institutionalized violence.
NATIONAL TOUR IN TUNIsIA. 2013 /2014
# ali ben salem
Opposing the French colonization and the regimes of Bourguiba and Ben Ali, human rights activist Ali Ben Salem was jailed in 1954 during the French occupation, sentenced to death and then pardoned. He was locked up for a further 11 years in 1962 at Porto Farina and Nadhour prisons after conspiring against Bourguiba.
In April 2000 he was arrested and tortured for supporting a journalist. He was placed under house arrest between 2005 and 2011. After several failed attempts in Tunisia, he successfully filed a complaint in 2005 to the Committee Against Torture of the United Nations, which condemned Tunisia in 2007.
“During the rule of Bourguiba I spent 11 years chained to a wall like an animal in the underground cells at Nadhour. It was
in prison that I learned of the death of my first wife. They did not allow me to attend her funeral. In 2000, the police arrested, beat and tortured me while I was visiting a journalist friend, who was on hunger strike. They threw my body into the forest of Kerch el Ghaba, thinking I was dead. I was found and taken to hospital. I survived, but with serious injuries to the spine shoulder and head.
When I think back to my ancestors, those who fought to make Tunisia a modern and free country, I hope that Tunisia does not regress, and that she can be inspired by countries where human rights are respected.”
In 2000, the police arrested, beat and tortured me while I was visiting a journalist friend, who was on hunger strike. They threw my body into the forest of Kerch el Ghaba, thinking I was dead.
“”
# abdallah grabsi
Abdullah fought for Tunisian independence against the French in 1953. He joined the side of Salah Ben Youssef during the split with Bourguiba in 1956. In 1957, he was part of the conspiracy plot organised against the former president. He continued his struggle against the French between Tunisia and Algeria and was arrested in June 1957, in Gafsa.
“I remember being hung for a month and twenty two days from a wall in a Tunis police station. I was there until the chains penetrated my flesh. In those days, I felt death.
“I was sentenced to ten years in prison and ten years of house arrest for attempting to overthrow the President and threatening the security of the state. I was imprisoned for five months before my family was informed. The solitary-confinement cells were so small that you could not even lie down to sleep.
“I have lived in poverty all my life. Even if you cannot give me back those lost years, I hope to have enough to make a decent living for my family in the years I have left to live.”
I remember being hung for a month and twenty two days from a wall in a Tunis police station. I was there until the chains penetrated my flesh. In those days, I felt death.
“”
# salah zeghidi
Communist militant at the the Faculté des lettres de La Sorbonne in Paris, Salah was arrested, imprisoned and tortured on several occasions between 1966 and 1997. He was forbidden to leave Tunisia between 1966 and 1982.
In 1966, after his return to Tunisia, he was imprisoned then forcefully enrolled in the army. He was arrested during the various waves of repression against the Left in 1968 and 1975. He was tortured, tried by the Court of State Security, a court created at the time to try state criminals, and imprisoned between Tunis, Borj Erroumi and Kasserine. Between 1982 and 1997, he was
arrested upon several occasions resulting in time spent with in the quarters of the political police and the Ministry of Interior.
“Since 1966 there have been large waves of repression against the Left. In 1975 there were sixty of us who were detained for more than 6 months. Torture is terrible, it’s like dying repeatedly.
“I want to say to the next generation to not forget the struggle of the Left over the decades and to remember the high price that thousands of activists paid have paid. These struggles are part of our people and our country.”
Torture is terrible, it’s like dying repeatedly.“ ”
# dalila mahfoud
First arrested in 1972 for leading the High School Protest, then in 1974 for her activism for students’ rights and membership in the leftist movement el-Amel Ettounsi (Pespectives), Delilah was imprisoned for three months in the Ministry of Interior.
“High in respect of ideas and freedom of expression, in the premises of the Ministry of the Interior I discovered humiliation and physical abuse. For a month, day after day, I underwent interrogation at the hands of the political police.
“Beyond the physical violence, I was shocked by the humiliation I suffered.
From prison, I can remember the solitary confinement cells where I was put only because I demanded that my rights as a prisoner be respected: care, family visits, books.
“Today, it liberates me to speak about my experience. This story has ceased to be mine. This is the story of thousands of women and men who have suffered under repression. We have to talk about it, to ensure that it is not trivialized. It is something dreadful and traumatic. The whole world must know.”
Today, it liberates me to speak about my experience. This story has ceased to be mine. This is the story of thousands of women and men who have suffered under repression.
“”
# zeineb ben said cherni
Zeineb was arrested in 1973 as a member of al-Amel Ettounsi (Pespectives) and then in January 1978 during the general strike for the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT). She was tortured in the premises of the state security management.
“I remember being blindfolded in the early days. I was forced to stand for more than 8 hours straight, buckling on insults and blows. Then the torture worsened. Hands and feet tied up, I was stripped naked and suspended between two tables, and then hit on the feet until they bled.
“Once torture is institutionalized, the violence of the State appropriates your
body. It becomes legal. It is an indelible imprint that marks you out as a slave, a souvenir that stays with you for life.
“Dignity passes through the physical and moral integrity of individuals. It is necessary to challenge the judicial and prison systems in their entirety. In order to build a free and tolerant society, we must learnt to coexist in all our differences, plurality and with respect for the human being: his physical integrity, his beliefs and his political opinion.
It is an indelible imprint that marks you out as a slave, a souvenir that stays with you for life.
“”
# MICHEL CANTAL-DUPArT
International official for UNESCO, Michel was arrested in July 1973 in Tunis as a suspected militant of the Perspectives Movement. At the beginning of 1973 he had allowed two opponents of the government to stay with him and then helped them escape to Europe. Sentenced to 4 years in prison, he was pardoned and deported after 5 weeks of detention.
“Following my call to Ministry of the Interior, I was detained and then taken to a secret place to be brutally tortured. I was held unofficially for five weeks at the Ministry of the Interior and then released.
“It was inconceivable for me to let people disappear and be tortured for their opinions. I considered it my
duty as a citizen in the face of an unjust repression organizing itself in front of my eyes.
“Experiencing the violence of a system which punished was a real shock. Suffering kills your awareness and impairs the ability of reflection. Your words are distorted and used against you. Justice brought false accusations to send me to jail, for the sole purpose of hiding this repression. Torture exists only for the service of the ruling authorities.
“In the face of this painful experience, I feel I have become a real Tunisian.”
In the face of this painful experience, I feel I have become a real Tunisian.“
”
# sessia rouissi
After several months in hiding as an activist of the movement El Amel Ettounsi (Perspectives), Sessia was arrested in 1974 and sentenced to nine months in prison after two trials charged with “belonging to an unregistered political organization.” She notably rallied against the poor living conditions of the people of southern Tunisia and in support of political prisoners and their families during the seventies.
“I was tortured for much time of my youth: arrest, physical and moral torture, prison, I was deprived of my passport, placed under house arrest, abducted by the police, interrogated without charge ... But I have no grudge or hatred towards my former torturers. I want them to be judged fairly.
“To make a reconciliation possible, the government should publicly apologize and acknowledge responsibility for the former regime. I would like to see old prisons converted into memorials and that abuse and torture be banned during interrogation.
“Despite all this suffering, I do not regret my activism and my struggle for freedom and democracy. I have hope that Tunisia will emerge from all this violence which exists between each individual Tunisian.”
To make a reconciliation possible, the government should publicly apologize and acknowledge responsibility for the former regime.
“”
# abdullah haWari
Abdullah was jailed at the age of 19 in 1975 for belonging to the Nationalist Progressive Front, a pan-Arab movement.
“During my arrest, I was interrogated and tortured at the commissariat in Gabes. Then I was sent to the Ministry of Interior in Tunis, where I spent 23 days. I remember the damp, the crumbling walls, black and somber, the continuous cries of other prisoners. On the walls of the prison, boards indicated that the death penalty awaited us. I saw five people sentenced to death.
He chose to fight by means of culture. “I wanted to fight without violence, without weapons, only through knowledge, discussion and reflection.”
“Today, when I see my son, I hope he doesn’t have to live through such violence and that he is not rejected for his opinions. This is why we fought for freedom of expression and justice. “
Today, when I see my son, I hope he doesn’t have to live through such violence and that he is not rejected for his opinions. This is why we fought for freedom of expression and justice.
“”
# ammar ghoul
Ammar was arrested and tortured in 1976 for belonging to the Progressive Movement for the Liberation of Tunisia. He decided to travel to the south of Lebanon and became involved in the Front for the Liberation of Palestine between 1977 and 1985. Upon his return to Tunisia in 1985, he was arrested and sent directly to the Ministry of the Interior, where he was placed under surveillance.
“I left to go to Lebanon because I wanted to defend the revolution and injustice against the Palestinians. It was a real conviction for me.
“When I returned to Tunisia, I suffered
harassment and pressure from the political police because of my past and my knowledge about government opponents in the Gafsa area. They destroyed my cafe and prevented me from working. Until 2011, my home was regularly searched. Fortunately, I had done everything so that my family and my children would be safe. I regret nothing. I was aware of the risks.
“Today, I hope that justice becomes independent and the media becomes free. I hope that everything I endured helps the freedom of the Tunisian people. “
I hope that everything I endured helps the freedom of the Tunisian people“
”
# houcine alim
Houcine was sentenced to nine years in prison after participating in armed action against the Bourguiba regime, known as the “events of Gafsa,” in January 1980.
“We wanted to bring down the dictatorship of Bourguiba, which oppressed Gafsa. The region was in a state of great social misery and the living conditions were deplorable.
“I was the youngest when I was arrested. Ben Ali himself, then Director of General Security, interrogated me and asked me to be a witness. I spent several weeks in the jails of the Ministry of Interior and the police station of Bouchoucha. I thought I was being
sentenced to death. It’s still very hard for me to remember these moments.
“At the prison of Nadhour, everything was done to humiliate and violate you. I saw the most base of human qualities, but I also saw solidarity, brotherhood and support among the prisoners.
“So that the torture disappears, we have to fight against ignorance at all levels. The respect of freedom for everyone must be learned. The whole mentality must change.
So that the torture disappears, we have to fight against ignorance at all levels. The respect of freedom for everyone must be learned. The whole mentality must change.
“”
# houcine ghodbane
Houcine began to militate within the islamist movement in the seventies and was imprisoned under Bourguiba. Following the crackdown against the islamist Ennahdha party in 1991, he was jailed as manager of the Tunis office. He was sentenced to 67 years in prison and released in 2008 after 17 years of detention.
“At the time, I was waiting to be jailed for my political activities. I discovered a system that, in addition to physical torture, wanted to destroy the personality of each individual.
“On one hand, I am proud for my choice to fight and resist. But on the
other hand, so much time in prison prevented me from building up my personal life. This is a dark area of my life.
“What gives me confidence today is that the revolution has put us on the right path. I want that every human being is respected and can live with dignity. That’s why I will resist until the end. “
I discovered a system that, in addition to physical torture, wanted to destroy the personality of each individual.
“”
# najet gabsi
Najet was arrested in December 1991 and convicted of belonging to the prohibited Tunisian General Union of Students (UGTE ). She was jailed for 6 months at the prison of Messadine and placed under administrative supervision for 6 years.
“I spent two days at the police station with my comrades of the UGTE for questioning. The police forced us to sign a false report, made from scratch, by humiliating and torturing us. My family was constantly harassed after my release from prison.”
In 2012, Najet created an association to raise awareness about the role of
women activists in Tunisia.“We gather their stories to tell the truth to the general public. I want Tunisian women to be aware of their role as activists and also as a support for their families.
“I hope that women can freely tell their stories, because we will not change if the truth is not revealed. “
I hope that women can freely tell their stories, because we will not change if the truth is not revealed.
“”
# Ahmed Ghiloufi, Moncef Zohlami et Mohamed Ahmed
These high ranking Tunisian army officers were arrested in May 1991 in the ‘Baraket Essahel” case, which affected 244 soldiers accused of preparing a “coup d’état” against the regime of Ben Ali. They are delivered by the Military Security to the Ministry of Interior, where they were humiliated and tortured for several weeks.
“Our military delivered us to the police. We were then dismissed from our jobs to prevent our return to service, destroying our successful careers and depriving us of both our statutory and most basic rights.”
After the revolution they established INSAF Association - Justice for former soldiers.
“We believe that the army should recognize its legal responsibility, administrative and moral, and announce compensation and learn lessons from the incident.
“Yet, despite all these events, we are proud to have served the military. We can forgive but never forget.”
the army should recognize its legal responsibility, administrative and moral, and announce compensation and learn lessons from the incident.
“”
# dhaou thabti
Imprisoned from 1991 to 1997 as an active member of Ennahdha Party in Tunis, he was arrested and tortured for two months in the jails of the Ministry of Interior and in the prison of Neuf-Avril.
Following the restriction imposed on his daily life by his release on parole, he left Tunisia. Over 6 months, he went through Libya, Niger and Morocco. He reached Switzerland where he received status of political refugee. In 2000, he lodged a complaint against the Ben Ali regime with the World Organization Against Torture. His complaint is currently
under investigation.
“It is difficult to say what I remember the most about this period, but the hardest thing for me is that everyone around me was touched. Many families of prisoners were indirectly tortured.
“Today, I have no feeling of revenge, but in order to mourn this period justice must be done to bring to light and recognize this part of our history and subsequently alleviate our suffering.”
the hardest thing for me is that everyone around me was touched. Many families of prisoners were indirectly tortured.
“”
# abdelaziz et Khadija naouar
Abdelaziz and Khadija were victims of the crackdown against the Nahdha party, which began in 1991. After spending respectively four months and three years in hiding, Abdelaziz was arrested and imprisoned in 1991 to 1996 and Khadija from 1994 to 1995, as active members of the party.
Abdelaziz:“Everything was done to humiliate us and make us suffer. Today I have several physical troubles and impaired memory.
“When I learned Khadija was arrested, I was devastated. I was
terrified for her and our two childred. I prayed so much for them. “
Khadija:“Because I had spent three years in hiding, I was tortured in a particularly cruel way.
“It’s true that we decided our destiny and we accept what we have suffered. But the hardest thing is the ill-treatment and injustices brought against against our children during their school years, because we were political prisoners.”
When I learned Khadija was arrested, I was devastated. I was terrified for her and our two childred. I prayed so much for them.
“”
#sahbia dahri
Arrested while leaving school in Matmata in 1992, Sahbia was questioned at the police station of Gabes with three other students. They was accused of collecting money and informal meetings.
“They wanted to know everything about the Nahdha party. We were tortured to extract information. I had to sign their statement without having read it, in order to stop their abuse. Then we were sent directly to the prison of Gabes and I was sentenced to 6 months of prison.
“The hardest part was the administrative requirement to regularly sign my presence after release from prison. They chased me for many years. It
finally ended after the Revolution.
“Police stations have traumatized me for a long time. Summons to police stations were sent to me, even after my move to Tunis. Because of this situation, I couldn’t continue my studies and get my degree. Today, it still affects me a great deal.
“That must not happen again. For anyone. “
Because of this situation, I couldn’t continue my studies and get my degree. Today, it still affects me a great deal.
“”
# houda abdelsselem
Her brother was arrested and imprisoned from 1992 to 2004. She suffered harassment and daily humiliations.
“When my brother was jailed, I was isolated from social and academic life. To have an imprisoned brother is like having a contagious disease. Nevertheless, I wasn’t involved in politics. “
In 2004, Houda was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A rare disease often linked to psychological stress.
“I lost my youth and the desire to live. I have not been able to have a family.
I spent 12 years between prisons and the Ministries of Justice and Interior. Pressure and stress were part of my daily life.
“I have a lot of anger towards those who have made me depressed and suicidal. My brother was jailed for his opinions. For me, I was psychologically tortured, so much that I became ill. Since then, I have had chronic depression. All my dreams have been shattered. Ben Ali ‘s regime seeped into our family relationships and destroyed all the links that I could have had with my brother.”
I lost my youth and the desire to live. I have not been able to have a family. I spent 12 years between prisons and the Ministries of Justice and Interior.
“”
# rached jaidane
Accused of preparing terrorist acts within Tunisian territory with a dozen supporters of the Nahdha party, rached was arrested in 1993 in the trial called “The Night of the Congress.” He was sentenced to 26 years in prison and five years of house arrest.
“I spent forty days in the basement of the Ministry of Interior, constantly questioned by agents of the State Security. I was forced to sign false reports in this case, orchestrated from the start.
“In prison, I had the chance to see a doctor only three years after my incarceration. I was regularly beaten, chained up and put into solitary confinement because of my demands and many hunger strikes. I did not even have the right to a pen. “
Even after his release, following 13 years in prison, the harassment continued.
“I couldn’t work. My entourage avoided me. My twin brother suffered physical and psychological torture for supporting me. He died six months after my release, from an illness brought on by the daily stress.
“I do not want to be seen as a victim and I wish for a fair and transparent system to be brought about. This dark page of the history of Tunisia must be known and recognized by the Tunisian people.
In speaking out, I think of all those who have suffered atrocities and who were martyred.
I spent forty days in the basement of the Ministry of Interior, constantly questioned by agents of the State Security.
“”
# NAJOUA rEZGUI
Najoua was jailed between 1994 and 1997 after her activism in the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET), following the demonstration on the 1st November 1994 against university reforms in Kairouan.
“I remember the large number of police and the violence used against us that day. But what I remember today is the solidarity of the peasants around the faculty, who hid the students who were being attacked. That day I gained confidence in
Tunisians. “
During her 28 months in prison, Najoua was moved to three different prisons.
“During this period, I discovered another Tunisia, cruel and harsh.But for me, being imprisoned for one’s ideas is the hardest of all tortures.”
For me, being imprisoned for one’s ideas is the hardest of all tortures.“
”
# abdelmoumed belanes
After several years in hiding, he was arrested in 1995 for belonging to an illegal organization: the Communist Party of Tunisian Workers (TCOP ). He was sentenced in absentia in 1991, then in 1996 and 1999 to 6 years, 6 months and 16 days in jail.
“I was subjected to all possible forms of torture: the “roast-chicken” position, electric shocks, sleep deprivation to make me lose all sense of time. They hung me by my feet from the ceiling, while plunging my head in basin. Beatings and humiliation were a daily occurrence. After 17 days in the Ministry of the Interior, I was never declared as being held in detention. Nobody knew where I was.
“At that time, freedom of expression was absent. Political opposition was forbidden and violently repressed. The idea of fighting these injustices bubbled within me.
“Today, recognition and financial compensation is discussed for us. However, I feel like it is me who has to repay my people. During all these years, I received support, friendship and solidarity from my family and friends, as well as civil society. I owe them a lot. In my eyes, what they provided me with is priceless.”
After 17 days in the Ministry of the Interior, I was never declared as being held in detention. Nobody knew where I was.
“”
# ZOULAIKHA GHArBI
Arrested on October 11th 1996 and taken to the Jendouba police station, Zoulaikha was tortured to extract information about her husband who was a political opponent from the Nahdha party and a refugee in France as of April 1993. In 1997 she left Tunisia with her children to join her husband. In 2001, she filed a complaint against her torturer after recognizing him, holding an diplomatic position in Strasbourg. On 24th September 2010, he was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment by the Court of Assizes of Bas-rhin.
“The police took me from my home to the police station. I was held there and tortured for 22 hours. They stripped me, then suspended from a metal bar and
beat me ceaselessly. Traumatized by this experience, I did not dare to even go to and see a doctor. Nobody wanted to issue me with a medical certificate.
“In filing a complaint against my tormentor, I hope that his conviction becomes a symbol for all those who suffered torture in Tunisia .
“My story shoud be a hope for all women to enforce their rights. Today I hope that the Tunisian people will fight for the development of our country and give full value to the word freedom. “
n filing a complaint against my tormentor, I hope that his conviction becomes a symbol for all those who suffered torture in Tunisia .
“”
# abdellatif bouhjila
Abdellatif is a former prisoner of conscience, arrested for publicly campaigning on behalf of political prisoners jailed under Ben Ali. He was tortured for 30 days at the Ministry of Interior and imprisoned at the Neuf-Avril prison in Tunis between 1997 to 2007. During his imprisonment, he never ceased denouncing the abuse, torture and poor conditions of the prison.
“I undertook 26 hunger strikes in prison, over 1200 days, to denounce this situation and to obtain medical care. I was constantly provoked, humiliated, beaten. I fell ill several times leading to a heart attack. “
After his release from prison, his
health continues to deteriorate and the harassment continues.
“I continued hunger striking because I was deprived of my passport. I could not go abroad to undergo treatment for diseases contracted in prison. I maintain a certain bitterness, but also the desire to continue my struggle against tyranny.
“The only thing that matters to me now is to be considered as an individual, to have access to care and be able to claim all my rights.”
I undertook 26 hunger strikes in prison, over 1200 days, to denounce this situation and to obtain medical care. I was constantly provoked, humiliated, beaten.
“”
# henda aroua
Henda was accused in 1998 of belonging to and financing an illegal political organization. Imprisoned, tortured, harassed daily, she always maintained her innocence but was never left alone by a repressive and humiliating system.
“The attempted assassination of the President is the only charge I remember from among them all. I always said that I was not guilty and that I did not belong to any political movement. Despite this, they took everything from me: my money, my business, my personal property. But I never wanted to reclaim anything. They also persecuted my family.
Without their moral and material support, I would never have survived.
“I refused the proposal of an international NGO to leave Tunisia as a political refugee. It was not for me to leave. My home is here.
“Thirteen years after my release, I feel back to normal life only during the past year. I was expecting January 14th. “
Thirteen years after my release, I feel back to normal life only during the past year. I was expecting January 14th.
“”
# ammar amroussia
Ammar was one of the foundeing members of the Communist Party of Tunisian Workers (TCOP) in 1986. He spent several intermittent months in prison as a political opponent under both Bourguiba and Ben Ali. In 1992, he went into hiding for 10 years and was imprisoned in 2002. He led several hunger strikes to protest against the conditions of detention and ill-treatment.
“Torture was both physical and psychological. Being in hiding was harder than being in prison. You do not know when it will end, on a daily basis you’re forced to change
your location, name and face. You are uprooted from society and your family.
“My daughters were my wings enabling me to continue the fight. Despite sacrifices in my personal life, I haven’t any regrets about the path I chose. I believe in the people who had the courage and audacity to abolish the regime of Ben Ali and who now no longer will not stand to live under a dictatorship. “
Being in hiding was harder than being in prison. You do not know when it will end, on a daily basis you’re forced to change your location, name and face.
“”
# hamza mahroug
Arrested in February 2003 for his involvement in the “Trial of Zarzis,” Hamza was accused, with a group of young people all between 16 and 25 years old, to plan attacks in Tunisian territories. He was tortured for 20 days in the Ministry of Interior and then sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“At the time, we ran to religious extremism due to a lack of guidance. We thought that we had no future. But we would not have done anything against our Tunisia. Ben Ali’s regime was responsible for encouraging terrorism. In his fight, he created fake terrorists, whether they be opponents or those who just wanted to pray.
“The most difficult thing is to have been isolated after my release. Torture continues through administrative and police pressure. Our entourage abandonned us, leaving only close family members around us. They took 8 years of my life.
“I don’t want to be recognized, there are much worse cases than mine. Some lost their heads. But I do understand the suffering of those who were tortured. Today, that gives me the strength to move forward and think about the future.”
The most difficult thing is to have been isolated after my release. Torture continues through administrative and police pressure.
“”
# mohamed soudani
The then Secretary General of the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET) at the Economic and Management Sciences University of Mahdia, Mohamed was arrested twice in 2007. He was again arrested in 2009 following an interview with a foreign radio stations regarding the situation of students, in which he discussed the reasons of his hunger strike and the general situation in Tunisia.
“In 2007, I spent two days ,and a few months later six days, at the police station for my activities in the student union. There, I suffered many abuses. I was accused of assaulting a police officer and other crimes that I did not commit.
“In 2009, on the day of the interview, the police arrested me at the station in Place de Barcelone by treating me like a thief in front of people. I was dragged to the police station where I was violently beaten and mistreated. Nobody knew where I was for 28 days. Because of my terrible state, even the prison of Bouchoucha refused to let me enter.
“I want people to understand that our activism was an act of conviction. I didn’t relent even for a single day, despite the torture and abuse I endured. We seized our freedom. Tunisians must remember that freedom is acquired with difficulty. It is not a gift that falls from the sky. We must know this, in order to preserve it.”
I was dragged to the police station where I was violently beaten and mistreated. Because of my terrible state, even the prison of Bouchoucha refused to let me enter.
“”
# saadia ali
A French-Tunisian citizen, she was abused and tortured in 2004 in the cells of the “Tribunal de Grande Instance” in Tunis, after a verbal altercation with a public official. The judge told her she risked three months in prison for “assaulting a public official.” After several unsuccessful attempts in Tunisia, Saadia filed a complaint in 2006 to the Committee Against Torture of the United Nations.
“Outraged by the arbitrary conduct of an official, I asserted my rights as a citizen. A policeman dragged me around several rooms of the court, where I refused to sign a statement I didn’t understand. Locked up in the jails of the court, I panicked . A guard took me to a dark room where I was insulted and kicked until I fainted.
“My struggle to lodge my complaint was daily fight. I became an activist against all forms of human degradation. In institutionalizing torture, dictators create their enemies themselves. Our politicians need to know the fate of each of Tunisian citizen and do everything they can to ensure it never happens again.
“Speak out, talk, fight for the truth to come to light ! “
In institutionalizing torture, dictators create their enemies themselves.“
”
# ramzi romdhani
Accused under the anti-terrorism law in 2003, ramzi was arrested and imprisoned in 2007 for illegally training for jihad in Iraq. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
“I spent 17 days in the locals of the State Security, including 10 successive days of torture. I was particularly mistreated during my first 4 years in prison. I stayed more than 6 months in a cell in solitary confinement in the prison of Mornaguia.
“They gassed my eyes, hung me on a wall upside down, beaten until I passed out and chained for several days on a
bed. I developed a serious infection in a wound on my foot. Today I can’t walk normally and I have had to undergo several operations.
“As long as the torturers are not judged for their actions, I cannot rid myself of this feeling of pain. It is important that our children do not to suffer this violence.
“As important as it is to testify, today I would like to protect my privacy. Society is hard and I made the choice to turn the page.”
They gassed my eyes, hung me on a wall upside down, beaten until I passed out and chained for several days on a bed.
“”
# mohamed jlassi
As a reporter at the weekly journal “al- Mawkef,” Mohamed was investigating about salafism in Tunisia, and especially the case of Soliman, when a shootout broke out between police and an armed group. He was arrested in 2007 for his support of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and held for 8 days of interrogation.
“They wanted to know all about the party, its organization, its members and its activities. They already knew everything because it was a legal party. They particularly interrogated me about some articles on Salafists in Tunisia. I was tortured and humiliated for 3 days.
“I remember that they put me in the prisons of the Ministry of Interior where many Salafists were jailed. They wanted me to withdrawn information from them.
“I was sentenced for “refusing to comply with the police” after which I spent five months in the prison of Mornaguia . I lost the meaning of the word freedom.I also discovered a world I didn’t know before, and have written several articles about conditions of detention .
“This experience has made me more brave. Prison is the most difficult thing that can happen to a human being. “
This experience has made me more brave. Prison is the most difficult thing that can happen to a human being.
“”
# adnan hajji
Adnan is the General Secretary of the Union of Primary Schools and executive member of the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT ) in redeyef. Charismatic leader of the social movement of the mining region movement in 2008 in Gafsa , he was arrested in June 2008 with other union members for organizing a forbidden demonstration and membership in a banned terrorist group.
Sentenced to 8 years in prison, he was jailed for a year and a half between 2009 and 2010 in the prisons of Kasserine and Mornaguia, and subsequently released after pressure from civil organizations.
“I was treated like a criminal when I only defended the right to work and have dignity. But in prison, it makes no difference. Violence is used on everyone. The events of 2008 and my imprisonment were my reason for continuing to support the rights of the people from redeyef, who also supported me .
“Today, the only thing that hurts me is the health of my wife, which has worsened because of her many trips to visit me. She was also indirectly ill-treated by the regime of Ben Ali. “
I was treated like a criminal when I only defended the right to work and have dignity.
“”
# mariam zouaghi
Mariam was arrested in July 2008 to serve as a means to obtain information about her husband. After collecting the money for the Blockade of Gaza in 2008, they were accused of financing a terrorist organization. She spent two and a half years in prison.
“We spent a fortnight at the Ministry of Interior without anyone knowing where we were. I was beaten in such a way that there is no visible trace. At night, they tortured my husband. They would bring me to see him the morning. It was their means to extract information from me. A doctor came regularly to check his condition and assure that the torture could continue. To have been manipulated to give information about my husband is very hard for me.”
The violence and harassment continued in prison.
“Because I wear the hijab, I was constantly provoked by the prisoners and the prison management. Today still, nightmares invade my nights: my cell, the guards, the grilled doors ... these memories still haunt me.
“The eyes of society are still unjust towards me, because I made the choice to wear the niqab. However, I am a citizen like any other.”
At night, they tortured my husband. They would bring me to see him the morning. It was their means to extract information from me.
“”
# rim aroussi
rim became an activist after entering the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis, with the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET). She was sent home from university and regularly harassed and abused as part of its activities. She lodged a complaint for assault in 2008. In May 2011, she was beaten repeatedly by several police officers during a demonstration in Tunis. She was seriously injured: shoulder dislocated , ribs broken and facial nerve damaged .
“Torture is currently a great problem in Tunisia. All generations and all political currents have been affected by cruel
and inhuman treatment. There will be no transitional justice until we have mourned this period.
“The mentality needs to change. The police must be on the side of citizens and not use violence. There must be transparency at all levels to shed light on any violations. Especially at the institutional level, because it is there that all decisions are made. Only then can we talk about reconciliation.”
Torture is currently a great problem in Tunisia. All generations and all political currents have been affected by cruel and inhuman treatment.
“”
# aziz amami
Young activist blogger, Aziz was faced by the system of repression of Ben Ali since the high school. At university, he implicated himself in the defense of students’ rights. He was later arrested multiple times for denouncing socio-economic problems and censorship. He was arrested and mistreated between 6th and 13th January 2011 and in September 2011.
“I don’t remember the exact number of arrests. A friend said I should be in the Tunisian police education manual, I was arrested so many times.
“I still have physical scars, especially of my arrest during the uprising against the regime of Ben Ali. But for me it ensure that I will never forget why I underwent this repression. My ideas are more important.
“I have suffered the brutality of an authoritarian system for my ideas, but torture was also applied to ordinary prisoners. Whatever crimes they committed, they should be treated as human beings. It must not be forgotten.”
I don’t remember the exact number of arrests. A friend said I should be in the Tunisian police education manual, I was arrested so many times.
“”
# nabil arari
Nabil was arrested in May 2012 as part of a common law case for a charge of murder. Mistreated and abused during his detention at Siliana, he was imprisoned in the prison of Mornaguia until January 2013, then acquitted.
“Upon my arrival at the police station, I was threatened with a gun and handcuffs. I was beaten and abused and hung from a window for over an hour and a half. I had a burst eardrum and more serious bruising all over my body.
In prison, I had to undergo a hunger strike, after 23 days of detention, before being treated.
“I was falsely accused in this case and I know the fight to defend my rights is right. Victims cannot have confidence in the institutions of this country if the violence continues. I want to say to Tunisians: ‘do not allow it, denounce it !’”
Victims cannot have confidence in the institutions of this country if the violence continues. I want to say to Tunisians: ‘do not allow it, denounce it !
“”
With a keen interest in the Mediterranean area, Humans and theirs practices are in the middle of his work. His approach goes towards a documentary photography , narrative, poetic, where the portrait is central .
He works on social issues specifically about the Arab world and the Mediterranean, intangible heritage, minorities and human rights .
since 2011, he began to work on the deep changes through Tunisia. since the beginning of the uprising in 2011 until the next elections in 2014, Augustin Le Gall want to show the different challenges to build a new regime based on democratic values..
more information on www.augustinlegall.com
A U G U s T I NL e G A L L
le photographe
DeKADRAGe est un collectif de photographes basé à Marseille travaillant sur des questions liées aux droits de l’homme, au développement économiques et social, au patrimoine ou encore à la mobilité. Il porte notamment un intérêt particulier sur les enjeux liés à la Méditerranée.
Valorisant une approche à la fois documentaire et esthétique qui révèle un univers intime et personnel autour d’un engagement social, Dekadrage porte une réflexion sur la place de l’individu dans la société et la place de l’outil photographique dans un univers en mutation.
www.dekadrage.org
•Acte 1 - People Want (janvier- mars 2011)
•Acte 2 - Election (Octobre 2011)
•Acte 3 - Beneath the jasmine(mai 2012-mai 2013)
• Acte 4 - Arts and freedom(octobre 2012)
WOrK IN PrOGrESS•Acte 5 - martyrs of the revolution•Acte 6 - Deputy of the Constituent Assembly•Acte 7 - Relgion•Acte 8 - Minority in tunisia
T U N I s I A P O R T R A I T O f A
R e V O L U T I O N
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