Najet Laabidi sentenced to a symbolic fine
On 12 March 2020, following several hearings of her case, the Military Court of First Instance in Tunis convicted woman human rights defender Najet Laabidi of "attributing to a public official (…) illegal acts related to her job without proof” and fined her with the equivalent of 2.5 euros.
On 27 June 2019, lawyer and woman human rights defender Najet Laabidi is due to appear before the military court of first instance of Tunis for the final hearing of her case. She is charged with “attributing to a public official (…) illegal acts related to his job without proof” under Article 128 of the Tunisian Penal Code.
Najet Laabidi is a human rights lawyer and former member of the executive bureau of Tunisian human rights group, Liberté Equité. She is the legal representative of victims of reported torture in what is known as the “Barraket Essahel” case. The Barraket Essahel case goes back to 1991, when authorities said they had uncovered a plan orchestrated by officers to topple President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and establish an Islamist regime. Between May and July 1991, 244 army officers were arrested, many of whom were reportedly tortured by state security agents in the Tunis headquarters of the Interior Ministry.
On 12 March 2020, following several hearings of her case, the Military Court of First Instance in Tunis convicted woman human rights defender Najet Laabidi of "attributing to a public official (…) illegal acts related to her job without proof” and fined her with the equivalent of 2.5 euros.
The charge against her had been filed by Judge Leila Hammami, the president of the Military Court of First Instance in Tunis, who claimed that Najet Laabidi had made declarations that defamed her without proof.
On 27 June 2019, lawyer and woman human rights defender Najet Laabidi is due to appear before the military court of first instance of Tunis for the final hearing of her case. She is charged with “attributing to a public official (…) illegal acts related to his job without proof” under Article 128 of the Tunisian Penal Code.
The charge was filed by Judge Leila Hammami, the president of the military court of first instance of Tunis, who claimed that Najet Laabidi had made declarations that defamed her without proof.
