Mahdi Hargani

Summary

Mehdi is a young Tunisian man who was assaulted and beaten by the police while he was in the stands of a football stadium.

Personal Information

Name: Mehdi Hargani

Nationality: Tunisian

Occupation: Football Team Fan

Incidents of Violation

Mehdi is a young Tunisian man who was on April 18, 2022, at the Taieb Mhiri Stadium in the governorate of Sfax to support his favorite team during a football match. During the game, sports fans raised slogans demanding the truth to be revealed and for the police officers involved in the death of “Omar Laabidi” to be held accountable. In response to these slogans, the police used tear gas. They barged into the stands, which led to violent events and the beating of several young people, among them Mehdi, who was severely hit in multiple parts of his body to the point of losing consciousness.

The victim of the violation, was transferred to the hospital, where he spent the night until his condition stabilized, as he was unable to speak for five hours, in addition to suffering from fractures all over his body. Despite the apparent signs of violence on Mehdi, his initial hospitalization was framed as a falling accident from the stands and not a severe act of violence so as to hide the real culprits. However, he insisted on his rights and obtained a medical certificate for an extended rest period due to the extent of the damage he suffered to file a complaint in this regard.

Human Rights Violations

The deathly beating and violence inflicted by Mehdi constitute acts that rise to the level of torture and a violation of the right to bodily integrity. This right is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Tunisian constitution under Article 23, which states, “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.” This principle is also entrenched in several international agreements, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (under Article 5) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (under Article 7), which stipulate that “No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Sources

This case was documented based on the victim’s testimony, several social media posts, and a phone call with the branch of the Human Rights League in Sfax.