Tunisia: Former political prisoners face harassment

Tunisia: Former political prisoners face harassment The hunger strike staged since 2 October by former political prisoner, Abdellatif Bouhajila, to protest against the authorities’ denial to grant him access to medical care and to issue him a passport is a stark reminder of the harassment faced by former political prisoners in Tunisia, said Amnesty International today. [...] The organization urges the Tunisian authorities to accord Bouhajila his rights and to end the harassment and stigmatization of political prisoners following their release. [...] Since his conditional release in November 2007 following a presidential pardon, Abdellatif Bouhajila was unable to get his medical files from the hospital where he was treated during his imprisonment and his hospital appointments have been systematically postponed, in an apparent attempt to prevent him from receiving the medical care needed. [...] Abdellatif Bouhajila had undergone kidney surgery when in prison in 2002 and continues to suffer from heart and kidney problems and his health is said to be poor due to ill-treatment in prison and his multiple hunger strikes. [...] He was charged with membership of a terrorist organization in 2000 and sentenced to 17 years in prison, reduced to 11 years on appeal in 2002.