The FBE condemns the arrest  and imprisonment of lawyers, Sonia Dahmani and Mahdi Zagroubi in Tunisia.  

Sonia Dahmani, a prominent critic of the government, was arrested on Saturday 11th May in the offices of the Tunisian Bar Association. She is accused of distributing false information and disrupting public order. Hooded and masked police officers entered the Bar Association offices, and stopped a television broadcast while seizing Ms Dahmani.

Ms Dahmani is now in prison without  being brought to court or any trial. 

The Tunisian Lawyers Council on Sunday called for a nationwide general strike to be held by all lawyers, which started on 13th May. Two journalists were also arrested during the same police entry into the Bar Association offices on 11th May.

During the day of Monday 13th May, the police again stormed the offices of the Bar Association, vandalising the offices and arresting Mr Mahdi Zagrouba. The police now have arrested two lawyers and two journalists in these incidents.  The FBE supports Ms Dahmani and Mr Zagroubi and the journalists arrested at the same time. We call for the immediate release from prison and police custody of all four of those seized by the police.