The National Bar Association's Council announced on Wednesday its decision to wear red armbands from September 16 to 20, as a protest against "the restrictions imposed on lawyers in the exercise of their duties."
According to a press release, the Council will also organize demonstrations on September 18 in front of the Palace of Justice in Tunis and at various first-instance court headquarters. Additionally, they will launch a week-long boycott of work and judicial requisitions, starting on September 16, to demand judicial system reforms and the prompt fulfillment of the profession’s demands.
The Council expressed concern over "serious violations" faced by lawyers while carrying out their duties. These include being denied access to court files, the right to plead, and the right to visit clients, as well as facing harassment, deliberate insults, and physical threats. Such actions undermine the dignity and respect lawyers are entitled to within security units and prisons, and some have been threatened with prosecution and criminal penalties during their pleadings in specific cases.
The Council held the Ministry of Justice responsible for the "deterioration of the judicial system and legal profession." They also called for the establishment of the High Council of Justice and the Constitutional Court as essential bodies to ensure a balance of power and protect the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
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