Brussels, 17/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - Preoccupied by the repeated violations of human rights in Tunisia, two French European Parliamentarians, the Socialist Harlem Désir, President of the "capital gains taxation, taxation and globalisation" Intergroup and the Ecologist Helene Flautre, vice-president of the Maghreb delegation, are calling for the suspension of the European Union cooperation agreement with this country.
"We have just learned with stupefaction of the imprisonment this Wednesday 12 April in Tunisia of the Leaders of the RAID association (Attac Tunisie), Fathi Chamkhi, Mohamed Habib Chourabi and Ihed El Hani," while several MEPs spoke last week with the Tunisian authorities to end the pressure of which the association was a victim, announced the two MEPs in a press release. They remind of the situation of the Tunisian journalist Touafik Ben Brink, sentenced to ten years in prison for two articles judged to be "defamatory" and who is on hunger strike since the 3 April to protest against the authorities refusal to give him a passport.
"One more step has been taken in the flouting of human rights and democratic freedoms," feels Harlem Desir and Helene Flautre, while "the provisions of the cooperation agreement that ties Tunisia with EU countries stipulates that the respect of human rights and fundamental rights, as well as the strengthening of democracy are essential part of it.