A group of over 20 human rights organisations released a joint press statement detailing the recent harassment of human rights defenders in Tunisia, which has increased significantly in the last weeks. Press Release
Over 20 human rights organizations condemned the increased repression against human rights defenders and lawyers on 23 May in Tunisia.
On 11 May 2006, head of the newly established independent Syndicate of Journalists, Lotfi Hajji, was detained and interrogated for four hours after he was accused of holding a secret meeting.
On 18 May 2006, Tunisian authorities prevented the family of recently deceased human rights defender, Adel Arfaoui, from entering the headquarters of the Tunisian League for Human Rights to attend a memorial ceremony in his honour.
Security forces attacked Yves Steiner, a member of the executive office of the Swiss Branch of Amnesty International, while he was attending the annual general meeting of the Amnesty International Tunisia Branch. He was detained and asked to leave Tunisia on 21 May 2006. 
