Further information on UA: 125/10 Index: MDE 30/014/2010 Issue Date: 01 July 2010

The Tunisian authorities have introduced a new provision in the Penal Code in an attempt to prevent human rights activists bringing the country’s dire human rights record to the attention of the international community.

Additions to Article 61bis of the Penal Code mean that anyone convicted of harming Tunisia’s “economic security” faces a prison sentence of at least five years. The amendments were rushed through Tunisia’s parliament, which adopted the new provision on 15 June 2010. The legislation faced little resistance in either house of parliament, which are both dominated by Tunisia’s ruling party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (Rassemblement Constitutionel Démocratique, RCD).

Amnesty International believes that the changes to the Penal Code seem clearly intended to target human rights activists who lobby foreign bodies, such as the European Union (EU), to put pressure on the Tunisian government over its human rights record. In his reply to statements made by parliamentarians, Justice and Human Rights Minister Lazhar Bououni said that "harming Tunisia's vital interests" included "inciting foreign parties not to grant loans to Tunisia, not to invest in the country, to boycott tourism or to sabotage Tunisia's efforts to obtain advanced partner status with the European Union."

The organization fears that human rights activists will now face prosecution for their advocacy work.

Amnesty International will continue to campaign against this amendment, as well as other repressive measures adopted by the Tunisian authorities, in the ongoing efforts to hold them accountable for their human rights violations

No further action is requested by members. Many thanks to all of those who sent appeals.

This is the first update of UA 125/10 (MDE 30/012/2010). Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE30/012/2010/en

Further information on UA: 125/10 Index: MDE 30/014/2010 Issue Date: 01 July 2010