Case History: Héla Boujneh
On 22 September 2014, Ms Héla Boujneh was fined approximately €2 for “disturbing public tranquillity” by the First Instance Court in Sousse. On 1 September 2014, the trial against the human rights defender opened on charges including “assault of a police officer”, “disturbing public tranquillity”, and “threatening and using violence against public officials”. She was acquitted of the other two charges against her.
Héla Boujneh is a human rights defender and a member of the regional committee that led the national dialogue on transitional justice in Sousse. She is Coordinator of the Association for the Defence of Human Rights and is a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Sousse. She is also a member of Active Generation, a digital global network of youth focused on democratic participation and social progress.
On 22 September 2014, Ms Héla Boujneh was fined approximately €2 for “disturbing public tranquillity” by the First Instance Court in Sousse.
On 1 September 2014, the trial against the human rights defender opened on charges including “assault of a police officer”, “disturbing public tranquillity”, and “threatening and using violence against public officials”. She was acquitted of the other two charges against her. She will appeal the fine within ten days.
Héla Boujneh is a human rights defender and a member of the regional committee that led the national dialogue on transitional justice in Sousse. She is Coordinator of the Association for the Defence of Human Rights. She is also a member of Active Generation, a digital global network of youth focused on democratic participation and social progress.
Héla Boujneh was referred to the public prosecutor of Sousse on the morning of 25 August 2014 after going to the Sousse police station to visit her brother on the night of 24 August 2014. Her brother was being held in custody for driving a motorbike without documents. When she disclosed her identity as a human rights defender, she was intimidated, physically assaulted, handcuffed and detained by police officers.
Front Line Defenders remains concerned that she was fined for allegations relating to her peaceful and legitimate human rights work. Front Line Defenders is further concerned at the manner of her arrest and urges the relevant authorities in Tunisia to ensure the prompt, impartial and effective investigation of the assault on Héla Boujneh by police officers.
On 1 September 2014, the trial against human rights defender Ms Héla Boujneh opened, with a close court session, at the First Instance Court in Sousse.
Héla Boujneh was assaulted and detained overnight in Sousse Police Station on 24 August 2014 on charges including “assault of a police officer”, “disturbing public tranquility”, and “threatening and using violence against public officials”. It is reported that she was not granted access to a lawyer in custody. The judge postponed the closed hearing to a public hearing to be held on 15 September
Héla Boujneh is a human rights defender and a member of the regional committee that led the national dialogue on transitional justice in Sousse. She is Coordinator of the Association for the Defence of Human Rights and is a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Sousse. She is also a member of Active Generation, a digital global network of youth focused on democratic participation and social progress.
On the night of 24 August 2014, Héla Boujneh went to the police station of Sousse to visit her brother who was being held in custody for driving a motorbike without documents. When she disclosed her identity as a human rights defender, she was intimidated, manhanded, handcuffed and detained by police officers.
Héla Boujneh spent the night in jail and was referred to the public prosecutor of Sousse on the morning of 25 August 2014. Later that day, she appeared before an investigative magistrate and was summoned to appear in the Court of First Instance of Sousse on 1 September 2014.
Front Line Defenders is concerned at the detention of Héla Boujneh, as it appears to be solely related to her identity as a human rights defender.
