Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people, including children, suspected
of terrorism-related offences, have been arrested in Tunisia since the
introduction of the Anti-Terrorism Law in 2003. Authorities use the
broad definition of ‘terrorism’ in this law to criminalize legitimate
and peaceful opposition activities.

Many have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated, held in
incommunicado detention and subjected to enforced disappearances in the
last five years. At least 977 people have been tried and sentenced
since June 2006 – after unfair trials before military and other courts
- to long prison terms or even death.

The Tunisian government continues to say that the human rights
situation in the country is improving. The legal reforms that should
offer better protection for human rights are, in practice, little more
than hollow promises.

Abuses by security forces continue unabated and are committed with impunity, as the report In the Name of Security: Routine Abuses in Tunisia reveals.

Despite the record of violations, Arab and European governments and the
US government have returned people they suspected of involvement in
terrorism to Tunisia, where they have then suffered arbitrary arrest
and detention, torture or other ill-treatment, and blatantly unfair
trials.
A responsibility of all governments
The Tunisian government has a duty to protect its population from
violent attacks, but when doing so it must comply with its obligations
under international law. The government must condemn torture and other
ill-treatment and bring to justice those responsible for authorizing
and inflicting it.

Foreign governments should reject the rhetoric of the Tunisian
government and face up to the reality of human rights violations in the
country. Instead of forcibly returning Tunisian nationals, they should
ensure that all cooperation in the context of counter-terrorism
complies with human rights standards and put pressure on the Tunisian
government to prevent torture and hold torturers to account.
Link to amnesty.org