Tunisia: Prisoner ‘torture vans’ spark controversy

The detainees’ defence committee of the “conspiracy against state security” case has announced the postponement of the inquest hearing with lawyer Lazhar Akremi due to his refusal to be transported in a “torture van” to the investigation centre.

The committee conveyed in a statement on Friday: “The defence committee for the detained political leaders in the conspiracy case announces that the inquest hearing with Mr Mohamed Lazhar Akermi, scheduled to be held on Friday at the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Authority, has been postponed to 17 May due to the failure of securing a transport vehicle that meets the minimum humanitarian standards for travel between prison and the authority.”

The committee added that Akermi refused to be transported in the “torture van”, adhering to the decision taken by all political detainees.

Abdelwahab El-Hani, leader of the Al-Majd Party, commented: “The refusal to be transported in the torture van and the absolute prohibition of torture applies to all situations, locations and cases of deprivation of liberty starting from the moment of arrest and includes means of transportation.”

Activist Amin Al-Ashi has called on political prisoners to start a hunger strike and “resist injustice through the battle of empty stomachs,” considering it the only way to pressure authorities to improve prison conditions and convey their voices to the world.

In a previous statement, the committee announced that all its clients had decided not to leave prison for any reason, stating: “Their journey to the doctor or hearings has turned into a torture session in every sense. This is due to their transportation in a medium-sized truck originally designed for the transportation of the most dangerous criminals and terrorists, and it is equipped with an iron cage designed to accommodate one person only.”

The statement added: “The prisoners are placed handcuffed inside the cage, and their head bowed in a sitting position, which makes it impossible for them to maintain balance whenever the vehicle moves. During the journey, they repeatedly collide with the sides of the cage, left and right, forward and backwards, which causes bruises on the head, experiencing dizziness, nausea and suffering suffocation due to the lack of air.”

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