Human Rights Report Indicates Increasing Violations Based on Skin Color, Disability in Tunisia
(AWP) - Tunisian human rights activists called for more efforts to protect people with disabilities in the light of “growing rates of discrimination” against them in this North African country.
A recent report by the Organization to Defend the Right to Differ cited a 26% increase in violations against this group during the period between July and October, compared to the first quarter of 2023.
Salwa Greisa, the organization’s coordinator, said that no improvement was observed in the cases of violations documented on social media.
“Violations have taken place on social media as of January 2023. We have documented 86 cases during the past four months. We have 62 cases of violations based on disability. This drew our attention, because during the first three months of 2023, they increased from 9% to 26%,” she said in statements to Arab World Press (AWP).
Emad Tanfouri, Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, referred to “racism existing in Tunisia,” particularly in politics and media.
“Racism exists in Tunisia, particularly in the media and in political circles. There is no dark-complexioned TV announcer or political activist. Likewise, there is no dark-complexioned minister or high-level official,” he said.
Two years ago, a report by the Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities said that it had registered about 276,000 disabled people in Tunisia.
The law compels institutions and organizations to employ this category of Tunisians at a rate no less than 2%.
Yousry Al-Mazati, Chairman of the Tunisian Organization to Defend the Right of People with Disabilities, said Tunisians still “look with pity’’ on people with disabilities.
“They see people with disabilities as imperfect, and incapable of presenting themselves in society. People with disabilities, in the eyes of Tunisian citizens, are unable to communicate with public and private institutions,” he explained.