TUNISIA: On the way towards abolishing the death penalty

Summary: The Tunisian government is on the way towards abolishing the death penalty in the country, as well as announcing the ratification of major international agreements

[2 February 2011] - FIDH is pleased to note the Tunisian government’s decision to embark on the path towards abolishing the death penalty, as well as towards international criminal justice and the fight against enforced disappearances. 

The Council of Ministers of the transition government announced on the evening of 1 February 2011 that the country was going to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, as well as the two optional protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The second protocol concerns the abolition of the death penalty. In addition, the Council of Ministers has announced deliberations on the lifting of reservations against the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the Tunisian government. 

With these long-awaited decisions, Tunisia is now moving closer towards the most advanced universal human rights standards. “This is unprecedented in the entire region, and this should well be emphasised”, says Khadija Cherif, General Secretary of FIDH. “However, we are still impatiently awaiting the lifting of reservations against CEDAW, as we would hope that these ratifications will enable the country to move forward and embrace the true safeguard of human rights of each and every individual”, she concluded. 

 

Further Information:

pdf: http://www.fidh.org/Tunisia-on-the-way-towards-abolishing-the-death

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