Tunisia Passes Antiterror Law After 2 Deadly Attacks
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Version 0 of 1. TUNIS — Tunisia’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly late Friday to pass an antiterrorism law after a pair of devastating attacks against tourists, but critics fear that the new legislation may endanger the country’s hard-won freedoms. Alone among the countries that were swept up in the 2011 uprisings of the Arab Spring, Tunisia emerged with a democracy, but amid a rise in attacks by Islamist radicals, the new government is increasingly feeling pressure to choose stability and security over personal liberty. “There are many holes in the law that could open the way to human rights violations,” said a statement by coalition of 10 Tunisian civil society groups, including the bar association, the journalists’ union and several human rights groups. The law, which had languished in Parliament for years, was fast-tracked after gunmen attacked the national museum in Tunis in March, killing 21 foreign tourists. Three months later, another gunman attacked a resort in Sousse, killing 38 tourists. Since then, the government has mobilized additional military and police units, including 3,000 more guards for hotels and tourist sites. The new law, which replaces one from 2003, is meant to aid this battle while still respecting human rights, said Abada Kefi of the Parliament’s legislation committee. While 176 deputies voted for it, 10 abstained and none were opposed, some lawmakers have expressed reservations. “The political wrangling will affect religious rights and freedom of expression,” said Sahbi Atig, a member of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party. Death is the maximum penalty for acts of terrorism, including disseminating information that results in the loss of life in terrorist attacks. Terrorism can also be defined as damaging property during a demonstration. The law increases the time the police can hold a suspect without charges and without contact with a lawyer to 15 days from 6. Outrage over the attacks, which crippled Tunisia’s vital tourism industry, swept aside reservations over the measure. A study by the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent conflict worldwide, contended that overhauling the security services would be more effective than harsher penalties in combating terrorism. The report said Tunisia’s police suffered from corruption, brutality and poor organization. Without changes to improve the training and conduct of the police, “Tunisia will continue to stumble from crisis to crisis as its regional environment deteriorates and political and social tensions increase, at the risk of sinking into chaos or a return to dictatorship,” the report said. |