Tunisian LGBT activist imprisoned after reporting police harassment
The concerns of civil society organizations and the international community have grown stronger regarding restrictions on personal freedoms after a Tunisian court ruled against LGBT rights activist Rania Amdouni.
TUNIS, Tunisia — Human Rights Watch reports that a Tunisian court sentenced LGBT rights activist Rania Amdouni to six months in prison March 4 and fined her 18 Tunisian dinars ($6.50) for shouting outside a police station after police officers refused to register her harassment complaint. The rights group said the ruling was appealed March 5.
“Tunisian authorities should ensure that complaints, including Amdouni’s, are handled confidentially and swiftly, following a clear procedure, and that people can submit complaints without fear of reprisals,” Human Rights Watch said in its March 9 report.
On Feb. 27, Amdouni headed to a police station in downtown Tunis to file a complaint against the administrators of police unions' Facebook pages that published her photos and sent her rape and death threats. However, police officers at the station refused to register her complaint.
Amdouni, 26, is a prominent LGBT rights activist known for her participation in the protests calling for democracy. She became the target of police unions after taking part in protests condemning police repression in January.
