{"id":3114,"date":"2024-02-16T11:34:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novact.org\/declaracion-osc-sobre-ley-88-tunez\/"},"modified":"2024-02-19T12:55:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T10:55:28","slug":"declaracion-osc-sobre-ley-88-tunez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novact.org\/en\/declaracion-osc-sobre-ley-88-tunez\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting freedom of association in Tunisia – Joint civil society declaration"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Organizations, associations, activists, and social actors participating in the meeting of civil society organizations for the preservation of Decree 88 regarding the regulation of associations, held on February 9th, 2024, state that:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We remind that civil society has been present, foundational, active, resistant, and has accumulated all the milestones of the struggle of the Tunisian people, from the fight for independence to the revolution for freedom and dignity, and to the stage of democratic construction. It has remained engaged despite restrictions and all attempts to undermine, mislead, and compromise rights and freedoms in national affairs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We defend the achievements of the Revolution for freedom and dignity, the most important of which are freedom of expression, freedom of the press and media, and freedom of organization, including freedom of association, enshrined in Decree No. 88 of 2011. This decree not only legalized civil work but also contributed to its diversification and made it an independent and essential pillar for promoting democracy, equality, and development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are alarmed by the increasing targeting of associative work by authorities, primarily through various types of restrictions on the creation, activity, and financing of associations, by prosecuting their members and professionals, by rhetoric of treason and defamation, accusing anyone different of being unpatriotic and serving foreign agendas, and by efforts to amend the decree regulating associative work towards an authoritarian law that undermines civil society freedom and cancels its role as a force for control and suggestion. This political trend aims to silence the voices of actors and stakeholders in civil and political fields in order to control the public space and the judiciary. This occurs within a general context that, since the announcement of the exceptional measures, has been characterized by intensified efforts to establish authoritarian rule by domesticating the judiciary, silencing the media, dismantling oversight bodies, besieging civil and political forces, reducing the space for public participation, and instilling an atmosphere of intimidation by employing a number of legal texts hostile to freedoms, including \u201cDecree No. 54 of 2022 on combating crimes related to information and communication systems\u201d, to attack freedom of expression and stifle free and oppositional voices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We recall that Decree No. 88 of 2011 is one of the most important achievements of the revolution and embodies the aspirations of our people and its various forces for freedom, participation in public affairs, and contribution to national progress at all political, cultural, economic, and social levels. We emphasize that this decree is in line with constitutional and international standards concerning the freedom of civil space, considered an essential criterion for the progress of states and peoples, and also enshrines mechanisms ensuring good governance of associations and the compliance of their objectives, management, financing, and activities with the principles of democracy, transparency, integrity, and rejection of violence, terrorism, and corruption.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We declare:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n