Readers may recall the plight of Tunisian lawyer Mohammed Abbou, who had the temerity to criticize abuse in Tunisia's prisons in a newspaper article - and was subsequently sent off to a Tunisian prison for three years. Apparently this was the Ben Ali regime's way of arranging "embed" reporting. Abbou also made headlines for sewing his mouth shut in prison, as a graphic protest against his silencing and incarceration.
A video on YouTube features on interview with Abbou's wife, Samia, talking about her family's hardship throughout the ordeal. It's a reminder that behind all the instances of repression are families who bear the scars:
Rough translation:
"They do not inform us at all, like come to our home, or tell us orally, nor in writing, nor by phone. One can be kidnapped, a lawyer, during night time, like if he was a bandit, like in those mafia movies. Such behaviour is not worth of any government especially that it became obvious they dealt the same way not only with Mohamed but with many other prisoners. This is a common practice. It is sad, it is not a decent procedure.
I am asking myself if they treated me like that, how about my husband? One told me: you are the wife of Mohamed? He threw me on the floor with rage, and was sweeping the floor with my body, my shoes were off, my bag dropped down, I was screaming until voiceless. He did not consider that I was a woman, that I did nothing to him, that I came for my husband. He had no respect neither for the court, nor the judge, nor the lawyers. These people know no limits, they are like beasts that were put on starvation for 3 days and then released after their victim.
In the parlour there were always policemen, at least 3 and the maximum was 16. Some were standing next to me, some in the middle and others next to my husband Mohamed."
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