Arwa Baraket

Summary

Arwa Baraket is a Tunisian journalist who was assaulted by a police patrol on September 17, 2021. When she attempted to file a complaint, she was accused of subjecting a security officer to severe violence when he was performing his duties. 

Personal Information

Name: Arwa Baraket

Nationality: Tunisian

Occupation: Journalist

Incidents of Violation

Arwa Baraket is a Tunisian journalist and feminist activist. On the evening of September 17, 2021, Arwa, along with her friends, was returning home when they were stopped by a police patrol shortly after the start of the curfew. After completing the process of signing the fine for violating the curfew, the journalist documented and filmed the presence of other cars on the road, which were not stopped or fined by the police patrol. Consequently, the police officers proceeded to assault and detain her. One of them plunged into the car, violently attacked her, and confiscated her phone to prevent her from taking pictures or contacting a lawyer. She was then taken to the police station in Khadra District, where her lawyer joined her to file a complaint against the assaulting officer. However, during the investigation, she found herself charged with “severely assaulting an officer while he was performing his duties.” At 5 AM on the same day, she appeared for detention before the assistant public prosecutor, as she was accused by the police officer.

Charges

Severely assaulting an officer while he was performing his duties.

Trial Procedures

Arwa was presented before the Court of First Instance at Bab Bnet in Tunis on Tuesday, September 21st, 2021. During the session, she was heard by the public prosecutor, allowing her to provide her testimony in response to the accusations against her. The public prosecutor in Tunis decided to refer Arwa’s case for further investigation and release her until a future court session is scheduled. The court also issued an order for another hearing on October 22, 2021, where Arwa will face charges regarding the complaint about “severely assaulting an employee during the performance of his duties.” However, the complaint that Arwa filed against the police officer on September 22, 2021, from the office where she submitted it, has not been considered. The case of Activist Arwa Barket has been postponed to January 18, 2023.

Human Rights Violations

The assault by the police officer on the journalist Arwa Baraket constitutes a blatant violation of bodily integrity and human rights in general. Furthermore, the failure to address Arwa Baraket’s complaint at the police station is considered a violation of the right to a fair trial and the right to litigation as guaranteed by local charters and international norms.

Sources

Intersection Association relied on the testimony provided by the victim of the violation as well as her statements to the media and information from other human rights organizations while documenting this case.