• Press Release

Analysis Shows New Draft Constitution of Tunisia Still Falls Short On Human Rights

June 5, 2013

Contact: Sharon Singh, [email protected], 202-675-8579, @AIUSAmedia

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – On June 1, 2013, Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly (NCA) received the latest draft of the country’s Constitution and is

expected to vote on it soon.

Amnesty International has reviewed the latest version amended following discussions among political parties and found that – while there are some

improvements over the drafts circulated in August and December 2012 and April 2013 – the text still undermines tenets of international human rights law. It

includes restrictions of some basic rights such as the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and to freedom of movement, as well

as providing insufficient guarantees for the independence of the judiciary and to protect against torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

If the entire draft Constitution is not approved by two thirds of the NCA, it will eventually be put to a national referendum.

Amnesty International has published an analysis of the latest draft and has experts available for comment.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in

more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and

works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.