Malek Slimi

Summary

On August 31, 2022, Malek was subjected to severe violation by a police patrol, which caused him serious injuries that led to his prolonged hospital stay. He passed away on October 13, 2023.

Personal Information

Name: Malek Slimi

Nationality: Tunisian

Incidents of Violation

Malek Slimi is a young Tunisian man originally from the Ettadhmon district in Tunis. On August 30, Malek was riding a motorbike with his friends. While they were driving, a police car started to chase them, forcing them to pull over to the side of the road, reported one of Malek’s friends who was with him that night. After they stopped and got off the bike, police officers immediately walked toward Malek and started beating him severely without any apparent reason. At that time, Malek tried to resist and escape from their grip, but they pushed him, causing him to fall into a small sewage canal. He fainted and stayed there until the arrival of the Civil Protection vehicle. In the meantime, the police officers arrested his friends, two of whom were released after a few hours. Since that day, Malek had been hospitalized under medical supervision due to multiple fractures and a head injury. His health condition had deteriorated day by day, and he had required intensive medical attention. He remained in the hospital in a critical condition until he passed away on October 13, 2022. 

Human Rights Violations

The assault on the young man Malek Slimi, which led to his death, is a violation of the right to life and the right to bodily integrity, which are human rights guaranteed by the Tunisian constitution under Article 24, which stipulates “ The right to life is sacred and shall not be encroached upon, except in extreme circumstances regulated by law.” Moreover, Article 23 stresses that “ the State protects human dignity and bodily integrity, prohibits physical and moral torture, and does not subject torture crimes to statutes of limitations.” Furthermore, various international human rights agreements entrenched these rights, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Articles 3 and 6, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which mandates, “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”

Sources

This case was documented based on documented testimonies, witnesses’ social media posts, video footage, and pictures depicting the severe health condition of the victim, Malek, before his death, which were verified and confirmed for accuracy.