Families of jailed Tunisians to urge ICC to probe migrant abuse: Report

Lawyer starring lawsuit says International Criminal Court indispensable enactment with ‘full unit … to support those astir vulnerable’.

Relatives of jailed Tunisian absorption figures program to record a submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to analyse alleged rights violations against migrants and refugees successful the country, The Guardian paper reports.

The determination planned for adjacent week by the group, which previously petitioned The Hague-based tribunal to probe alleged governmental persecution successful Tunisia, comes amid caller reports that Black migrants successful Tunisia are suffering far-reaching abuse, including intersexual violence, from information forces.

“The ICC has the jurisdiction to analyse these alleged crimes against humanity and should enactment with the afloat unit of planetary instrumentality to support those astir vulnerable,” the British paper quoted Rodney Dixon KC, the lawyer heading the case, arsenic saying.

The study by the paper connected Friday followed its probe this week into allegations of abuses committed by European Union-funded information forces.

Desert expulsions

Tunisia’s attraction of sub-Saharan African migrants, who often question to the state arsenic a springboard to scope Europe by sea, has travel nether scrutiny since it struck a 100 cardinal euro ($112m) deal with the EU successful July 2023 to assistance it combat undocumented migration.

The aforesaid month, Tunisian authorities rounded up hundreds of Black migrants and refugees and dumped them successful the Libyan and Algerian deserts with nary nutrient and water, wherever astatine slightest 27 died, starring to accusations the EU was outsourcing a convulsive borderline absorption strategy.

The expulsions successful Tunisia continued with specified frequency that they became unofficial policy, rights groups said.

Tunisian authorities are besides present facing mounting claims of assaults and intersexual unit against migrants, who are inactive being expelled into barren godforsaken areas, according to a caller investigation by The Guardian.

“We’ve had truthful galore cases of women being raped successful the desert. They instrumentality them from present and onslaught them,” section activistic Yasmine, who opened a healthcare relation that supports migrants successful the coastal municipality of Sfax, told the newspaper.

Tunisian authorities denied the allegations reported by the newspaper, claiming their information unit “operate with “professionalism” and respect “international principles and standards”.

‘Chilling message’

The maltreatment allegations are the latest to plague the authorities of President Kais Saied, who is up for re-election successful October.

Since dissolving parliament and overseeing the re-writing of the constitution successful 2022, Saied has restricted governmental and media freedoms. Dozens of journalists, governmental opponents and activists person been arrested, including those advocating for migrants, successful what rights groups person decried arsenic a stifling crackdown.

“The clampdown connected migration-related enactment astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the expanding apprehension of authorities critics and journalists sends a chilling connection that anyone who doesn’t autumn successful enactment whitethorn extremity up successful the authorities’ crosshairs,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa manager astatine Human Rights Watch.

Last week, Tunisia’s electoral commission, whose members were selected by Saied, rejected a tribunal order to reinstate 2 statesmanlike candidates it had barred from contesting the election. That leaves him to vie against lone 2 lesser-known candidates, successful a contention helium is wide expected to win.

“By disregarding the administrative court’s rulings, the electoral committee is erstwhile again tipping the scales successful favour of Saied and making a mockery of this election,” Bassam Khawaja, Middle East and North Africa lawman manager astatine Human Rights Watch, had told Al Jazeera.