Security and Terrorism

Since 2010, with the increase in attacks and political assassinations, the terrorist threat weighs on Tunisia. Under the pretences of security, many measures have been introduced, but at what cost?
Security and Terrorism
Torture and Detention: A Radicalisation Machine
| 23 April 2021 | 20 minutes
Those accused of terrorism are often given ‘preferential treatment’, a.k.a. brutal arrests, torture, systematic incarceration in degrading conditions regardless of the severity of the offence, etc. When they are subsequently thrown into prison without being distinguished from ordinary prisoners, a radicalisation machine is set in motion inside the prison cells.
Security and Terrorism
The returnees who cannot return
| 16 April 2021 | 20 minutes
Should Tunisian ex-combatants of the Islamic State be repatriated en masse in order to be brought to justice? This is a divisive issue in Tunisia. For many this would be entirely out of the question. Given the widely differing estimates, it would be tricky to try to present an exact number of potential returnees*, thus the National Security Council has decided that for the time being, only a few individuals will be repatriated. However, the challenge remains in the inability to guarantee a fair trial.
Security and Terrorism
The Origins of the Disaster
| 08 April 2021 | 15 minutes
Following the two terrorist attacks in Ghriba and Soliman (2002 and 2007 respectively), the propagated image of terrorism not being native to Tunisia was shattered. In 2011, a general amnesty for all political prisoners (including those involved in the Soliman attack) further contributed to the already fragile security situation. Between political negligence and tightened security, the handling of terrorism-related cases in Tunisia over the past two decades provides necessary insight for understanding the precarious situation today.
Security and Terrorism
The Inner Workings of the Tunis Courthouse
| 24 March 2021 | 20 minutes
Inside courtroom No. 6, the accused appeared respectively before the judges and the lawyers as their families anxiously observed. From the tremendous amount of pressure, one woman collapsed. Her father, among the onlookers, broke into tears. It is inside this courthouse where hearings were endlessly held, condemning hundreds of suspects for being directly or indirectly linked to cases of terrorism. These young people embodied the painful debate concerning the justice system, security institutions, and the public opinion.
Security and Terrorism
The S17 Files: A Monster Escaping its Creator
| 28 July 2020 | 20 minutes
On Wednesday September 5, 2018, Mohamed Dhia Arab poured petrol on himself, took out a lighter and silently set himself on fire in front of the police station of Menzel Bouzelfa while the policemen watched on. To those close to Mohamed Dhia there was no doubt: he committed suicide as a result of being restricted by S17 measures. Being prohibited to leave the country and permanently surveilled by the police made him feel as if he was living in an open-air prison. There are thousands of people like him on the S17 list who are sometimes not even aware of it - completely disregarding their fundamental rights.
Security and Terrorism
China Cables: China’s Operating Manuals For Mass Internment And Arrest By Algorithm
| 28 November 2019 | 20 minutes
A new leak of highly classified Chinese government documents reveals the operations manual for running the mass detention camps in Xinjiang and exposed the mechanics of the region’s system of mass surveillance.
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