– The situation for human rights defenders in Tunisia is extremely difficult. They are being monitored around the clock and are constantly
being harassed by the authorities, says Carl Morten Iversen, Secretary General of the Norwegian PEN, who returned from Tunisia yesterday. (20-JAN-05)

Secretary-General of Norwegian PEN, Carl Morten Iversen, returned yesterday
from a five day fact-finding mission to Tunisia as part of the work of a “Tunisian Monitoring Group”, established last June by the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), in connection with the second meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), due to take place in Tunis in November. 

Last year, 31 organizations in IFEX, including the Norwegian PEN, asked for the summit to be moved to another country, unless Tunisia makes substantial progress on respect for freedom of expression. Iversen says the situation for defenders in Tunisia is “extremely difficult”, and that it is necessary to mobilize support:

– It is very important in the coming months prior to the summit in Tunis, a period in which Tunisian authorities may be more sensitive to international pressure, that the international human rights and freedom of expression NGOs focus all their attention on Tunisia and do all they can to help Tunisian NGOs, says Carl Morten Iversen at the Norwegian PEN.

While in Tunis and Zarzis, the TMG-delegation met with around 30 organizations, representing NGOs (official or acknowledged by the authorities as well as non-official), writers, publishers and lawyers organizations, the Tunisian divisions of ATTAC and Amnesty International as well as representatives of the Tunisian
government and the embassies of USA, UK and Norway. 

Norwegian PEN and the Human Rights House Foundation will cooperate on enhanced monitoring and work for more international attention on Tunisia in the coming year, including financial help to some of the Tunisian NGOs.

The report from the Norwegian PEN will be available from mid-February on http://www.norskpen.no/pen/index.shtml and on www.humanrightshouse.org

Related story: Annan asked to move summit from Tunisia (13-JULY-2004)