The Tunisian Human Rights League ( Arabic : الرابطة التونسية للدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان , romanized : al-Rābiṭah al-Tūnisīyah lil-Difāʻ ʻan Ḥuqūq al-Insān , French : Ligue tunisienne des droits de l'homme , or LTDH ) is an association to observe and defend human rights in Tunisia. It was founded in 1976, but associations had to be government-recognized, and the government delayed considerably before giving official recognition in May 1977. The organization's name is usually abbreviated LTDH, for its French name.
19-454: Hassib Ben Ammar was an early organizer who later received a United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights . Saâdeddine Zmerli was the first president and a longtime officer from the beginning of the organization till the year 2000. Mohamed Charfi is also a cofounder. LDTH had about 1,000 members in 1982 and 3,000 in 1985, partly because it had taken stands against the death penalty and
38-675: A fulsome message of condolences and compassion directly to the bereaved family. In 2011, street no.8811 in Tunis was renamed in his honor. In 2011 Road Number 8811 in Tunis was renamed after Hassib Ben Ammar. Grand Officer of the Tunisian Order of Independence (1968) Tunisian Human Rights League The Tunisian Human Rights League ( Arabic : الرابطة التونسية للدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان , romanized : al-Rābiṭah al-Tūnisīyah lil-Difāʻ ʻan Ḥuqūq al-Insān , French : Ligue tunisienne des droits de l'homme , or LTDH )
57-545: Is an association to observe and defend human rights in Tunisia. It was founded in 1976, but associations had to be government-recognized, and the government delayed considerably before giving official recognition in May 1977. The organization's name is usually abbreviated LTDH, for its French name. Hassib Ben Ammar was an early organizer who later received a United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights . Saâdeddine Zmerli
76-522: The French language weekly (or monthly: sources differ) publication, "Democracy", as a published medium for the opposition Movement of Socialist Democrats , becoming the publication's director. The opposition party was at this time illegal and he found himself confronted by the authorities with more than twenty legal cases. In December 1987, a few weeks after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali came to power, Ben Ammar closed down Erraï . Sources close to
95-605: The Socialist Destourian Party , a post he held between 27 September 1969 and 23 June 1970. He became the Minister for National Defence in June 1970, in succession to Beji Caid Essebsi . However, he remained in this post only till October 1971, which was when he resigned in response to the refusal of President Bourguiba to democratize the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD / Parti socialiste destourien ) : he
114-787: The Tunisian Human Rights League , becoming an honorary president of this association. He was also president of the "Committee of Freedoms" (sometimes known as the "National Council for Public Freedoms" ) which originated as a demand for respect of civil liberties, and for a conference on freedoms and human rights. The demand was signed by 528 intellectuals (university teachers, doctors, lawyers etc.) and distributed in April 1977. Ben Ammar undertook an overseas tour to invite foreign Human Rights organisations to participate. The conference itself, despite being forbidden, eventually took place on 9 June 1977. It took place not in
133-538: The Tunisian Order of Lawyers , was announced as the laureate of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize "for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011." Hassib Ben Ammar Hassib Ben Ammar ( Arabic : حسيب بن عمار ; 11 April 1924 – 15 December 2008) was a leading Tunisian politician and journalist/editor. He
152-642: The 1987 Tunisian government. The National Dialogue Quartet , comprising the Tunisian Human Rights League, the Tunisian General Labour Union , the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers , was announced as the laureate of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize "for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in
171-454: The 24 member steering committee elected Ben Ammar as their first president. Subsequently he occupied a succession of senior positions in public life: he was head of the youth wing of the Socialist Destourian Party , and was governor of the Tunis governate (province) from July 1965 till September 1969. Ben Ammar served as the mayor of Tunis between 1963 and 1969. In 1967, at a time when he
190-596: The Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties, and he has served on the board of the Association for the Prevention of Torture. He was the son of Salah Ben Ammar and the brother of Radhia Haddad , Married to Hayet Ferjani, he has a daughter, Zeineb, and three sons, Kais, Khalil and Maher. Hassib Ben Ammar died on 15 December 2008. His funeral, which took place at Jellaz Cemetery on
209-507: The Hotel Africa as planned, but in the main concourse of Tunis–Carthage International Airport . One high-profile participant was United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark . Hassib Ben Ammar on the newspaper, " Erraï " , which he launched In 1977 Ben Ammar launched Tunisia 's first independent newspaper , Erraï ( Opinion ), which he described as "a contribution to the spreading of democratic ideas". In 1978 launched
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#1732764921160228-415: The edge of Tunis , was attended by an impressive range of leading establishment and opposition officials, national and city dignitaries, together with fellow human rights advocates. The funeral oration was given by Fouad Mebazaa , who was at that time the president of the national Chamber of Deputies , but he delivered the speech at the direction of President Ben Ali himself. The president also addressed
247-480: The newspaper claimed that the new President was enraged by the publication of an article by Oum Zied entitled "The drift towards authoritarianism of the Ben Ali régime," banned the edition containing the article and launched a campaign of intimidation against Ben Ammar, which allegedly forced him to put an end to the publication. Also at the end of 1987, on December 15, the president appointed him to membership of
266-547: The recently established Constitutional Council [ fr ] . Additionally, at this time he was a co-founder with the support of Ben Ali of "The Arab Institute of Human Rights", which was based in Tunis and of which he became the first president. Between 1994 and 1995 Ben Ammar served on the Committee of the United Nations Convention against Torture . The President also appointed him to
285-408: The release from prison of Islamists who had been "imprisoned for acts of conscience." "Four of its leaders, including two of its founders and its first two presidents" were made ministers in the 1987 Tunisian government. The National Dialogue Quartet , comprising the Tunisian Human Rights League, the Tunisian General Labour Union , the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts and
304-551: Was a powerful campaigner for human rights . As a young man he participated actively in the Tunisian independence struggle , notably as the producer of the clandestine newspaper "El Hilal" . Following national independence, in 1961 he was appointed to preside over the "National office of Mines". On 2 February 1961 he took part in the Constitutional Congress in Tunisia's newly established Chamber of Commerce:
323-539: Was himself combining the duties of provincial governor and city mayor , he founded the Association for the care of the Medina in Tunis ( Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis) , serving as the association's president till 1969. Ben Ammar was provisionally appointed Tunisian Ambassador to Italy following a dispute with Ahmed Ben Salah on the subject of Cooperatives , before being appointed director of
342-562: Was replaced at the Defence ministry by Béchir M'hedhbi [ fr ] . Excluded from the PSD during the 1970s, Hassib Ben Ammar resigned from his political posts in order to participate with Ahmed Mestiri in building the nascent opposition movement emerging from the Movement of Socialist Democrats (MDS / Mouvement des démocrates socialistes ) . In 1977, he was also a co-founder of
361-464: Was the first president and a longtime officer from the beginning of the organization till the year 2000. Mohamed Charfi is also a cofounder. LDTH had about 1,000 members in 1982 and 3,000 in 1985, partly because it had taken stands against the death penalty and the release from prison of Islamists who had been "imprisoned for acts of conscience." "Four of its leaders, including two of its founders and its first two presidents" were made ministers in
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