Ahmed Amara

Summary

Ajmed Amara is a young man in his thirties who lives in the Sidi Hassone area in Tunis. He was pursued and detained in front of his residence, then subjected to severe violence and beating, resulting later in his death in the hospital.

Personal Information

Name: Ahmed Amara

Nationality: Tunisian

Occupation: Blacksmith

Age: 33

Incidents of Violation

Ahmed is a 33-year-old Tunisian man residing in the Sidi Hassine area of Tunis. On June 3, 2021, he was chased by a police vehicle and detained in front of his home. The police later explained that their pursuit was based on mere suspicion that Ahmed was a drug dealer. During his arrest, the police officers tied Ahmed up and asked him to get into the car. However, he refused to leave his motorcycle in the street for fear of being stolen, which led the police to drag him into the car; as he kept resisting, they subjected him to severe beating and violence.

According to the victim’s brother and some of his friends who spoke to the media, the assault exercised on Ahmed was documented by a resident of the neighborhood. However, the video was deleted from social media, and the girl refused to give her testimony and talk about the matter. On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior addressed the issue and argued the death of the young man was neither at the police station nor at the hands of the police. They stated that he arrived at the hospital dead after fleeing from the patrol that was pursuing him. The circumstances of Ahmed Amara’s death remain mysterious due to contradicting narratives.

Human Rights Violations

The harsh beating and fatal violence suffered by the young man Ahmed Amara is a form of maltreatment and are considered acts that amount to torture. They are a violation of the right to bodily integrity, a fundamental right guaranteed by the 2014 Tunisian constitution under Article 23, which stipulates, “The State shall protect human dignity and the inviolability of the body and shall prohibit moral and physical torture, and torture shall not be subject to a statute of limitations.” These rights are also ensured within several international agreements, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (under Article 5) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Under Article 7), which states that “No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Sources

This case was documented based on several articles and reports issued by human rights organizations and testimonies of the victim’s brother and some neighbors to the media.