After the Tunisian parliament voted not to extend the mission of a human rights commission for another year, victims' advocates labeled the vote invalid and warned politicians April 5 to expect repercussions, as commission members pledged to carry on with their work.
The Truth and Dignity Commission is an independent, constitutionally backed body tasked with implementing the transitional justice law by investigating gross human rights violations committed by the government since 1955, largely under the rule of former Presidents Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The commission, which began its work in 2014 after the 2011 Tunisian revolution that launched the Arab Spring in the Middle East and Africa, has received tens of thousands of cases and is also responsible for helping victims recover and receive compensation.