Detention of human rights defender Hamza Nasri
On 21 January 2021, the Public Prosecutor ordered the conditional release of human rights defender Hamza Nasri.
On 18 January 2021, the Tunisian police arrested human rights defender Hamza Nasri following his participation in a peaceful demonstration against the deteriorating economic situation in Tunis. The Public Prosecutor accused Hamza Nasri of ‘committing an act that violates the public morals’.
Hamza Nasri is a Tunisian human rights defender and member of the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality (Damj). He works as a programme coordinator with the association on promoting vulnerable rights in Tunis.
On 18 January, the Tunisian police arrested Hamza Nasri following his participation in a peaceful, after which the Public Prosecutor accused Hamza Nasri of ‘committing an act that violates the public morals’. The Public Prosecutor added the charge of 'insulting a public servant' against the human rights defender before he was released. His hearing session has not been scheduled yet.
On 18 January 2021, the Tunisian police arrested human rights defender Hamza Nasri following his participation in a peaceful demonstration against the deteriorating economic situation in Tunis. The Public Prosecutor accused Hamza Nasri of ‘committing an act that violates the public morals’.
Hamza Nasri is a Tunisian human rights defender and member of the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality (Damj). He works as a programme coordinator with the association on promoting vulnerable rights in Tunis.
On 18 January 2021, Hamza Nasri participated in a peaceful demonstration in Tunis against the deteriorating economic situation in the country. After the demonstration, as Hamza Nasri made his way back to his car, he was followed by the police and arrested. According to the human rights defender’s lawyer, he was provided with incorrect information from Bab Souika police station and Bab El-Bhar police station regarding Hamza Nasri’s location after his arrest. Bab Souika police station later announced that they will be opening an investigation into the human rights defender’s actions during the demonstration. The Public Prosecutor in Bab Souika police station accused Hamza Nasri of 'committing an act that violates the public morals’ in relation to him raising his middle finger during the peaceful demonstration, and ordered his detention for 48 hours. On 20 January 2021, the human rights defender will appear before the Court of First Instance in Tunis.
On 14 January 2021, hundreds of protesters and activists were detained during several peaceful demonstrations in Tunis, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution. Several protesters were injured as a result of the use by Tunisian police of tear gaze to suppress them. Human rights defender Hamza Nasri injured his leg during the demonstrations, and according to his lawyer he was offered medical treatment but he refused, as the injury is not serious.
Hamza Nasri has been previously targeted by the Tunisian police. On 8 December 2020, the human rights defender was detained on the charge of ‘damaging properties’ and detained for two days, in relation to his participation in a peaceful demonstration in front of the Tunisian Parliament.
The peaceful demonstration was in protest against the hate speech made by a member of the Parliament on 3 December 2020, in which he discriminated against the LGBT+ community and the feminist movement in Tunis. Hamza Nasri has not yet been given a rescheduled trial date regarding this case.
Front Line defenders is deeply concerned regarding the detention of Hamza Nasri, as it believes that he is being detained solely as a result of his peaceful and legitimate human rights activism.
