Tunisia has arrested a United Nations (UN) official charged with monitoring alleged violations of an international arms embargo on Libya on suspicion of “spying.”

Tunisian authorities arrested Moncef Kartas, a member of the panel of experts of the UN’s Libya Sanctions Committee, after he arrived in the capital, Tunis, on Tuesday, a UN spokesman told AFP on Friday.

“We are in contact with the Tunisian authorities to know why he (Kartas) has been held for questioning,” a UN statement said, noting that Kartas enjoys diplomatic immunity.

According to Tunisia website universnews, Kartas has dual Tunisian and German nationality.

The Tunisian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday that two Tunisian citizens, including Kartas, had been detained on suspicion of “spying for foreign parties.”

“Confidential documents containing sensitive detailed data capable of harming national security were seized (from the suspects), along with technical equipment for jamming and intercepting communications that is banned in our country,” the ministry said.

It added that investigations were ongoing. </s> TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia has arrested a U.N. official involved in monitoring an international arms embargo on Libya although he has diplomatic immunity, a U.N. spokesman said on Friday.

Moncef Kartas, a Tunisian national and member of a U.N. panel of experts assigned to monitor an arms embargo imposed on Libya in 2011, was arrested after arriving at Tunis airport on Tuesday, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said.

“We are in touch with the Tunisian authorities to ascertain the reasons for his arrest and detention as well as the conditions under which he is being held,” Haq said.

The Tunisian interior ministry could not be reached for comment.

The interior ministry said in a statement on Friday that two unnamed Tunisian citizens were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of spying for foreign parties. The ministry had also seized secret documents undermining national security, it said, adding that investigations were ongoing.

It was not clear if one of those detained was Kartas. </s> TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian authorities have detained a U.N. official involved in monitoring an international arms embargo on Libya as part of an investigation by an anti-terrorism unit, state news agency TAP said on Saturday.

It was the first time Tunisia had confirmed the arrest of the official, Tunisian national Moncef Kartas, who a U.N. spokesman said on Friday had been detained earlier in the week at Tunis airport despite having diplomatic immunity.

A spokesman for a Tunisian anti-terrorism judiciary unit told TAP the detained official had traveled in a private capacity on his Tunisian passport, meaning he was not entitled to diplomatic immunity and could be arrested.

The U.N. spokesman had also called on Tunisia to clarify the reason for his arrest. Saturday’s TAP report said it was linked to a probe by the special judiciary unit, but gave no further details.

On Friday, the interior ministry said two unnamed Tunisians had been arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of spying. It did not say if Kartas was one of the two. </s> The United Nations says a member of its panel of experts monitoring sanctions against Libya has been arrested in Tunisia despite having diplomatic immunity.

Moncef Kartas, a Tunisian national, was arrested after arriving at Tunis airport on Tuesday, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters on Friday.

Haq said the world body has asked Tunisian authorities about the reasons for his arrest and the conditions under which he is being held.

Asked if the UN had requested Tunis to release Kartas, Haq replied: "We have informed the authorities that his actions are covered by the conventions on privileges and immunities, so yes, we have made that point clear."



He added: "Experts on mission for the United Nations, as Mister Kartas is, are covered by the convention on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations."

Arab League summit

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to arrive in Tunis to attend an Arab League summit at the weekend, with the conflict in Libya high on the agenda.

The spokesman declined to say whether Guterres would raise Kartas's case directly with Tunisian leaders.

Kartas was appointed to the panel of experts in 2016, tasked with investigating violations of the arms embargo on Libya.

The panel reports to the UN sanctions committee on Libya and details its findings in an annual report. An interim report is due in June.

Previous reports by the panel have found that arms and ammunition continued to be delivered to the warring parties in Libya in violation of the UN embargo, with the involvement of member states. </s> UN says expert arrested in Tunisia has diplomatic immunity

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says a member of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring sanctions against Libya has been arrested in Tunisia despite having diplomatic immunity.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Mocef Kartas, who reportedly has dual German-Tunisian citizenship, was arrested following his arrival in Tunis on March 26.

Haq told reporters Friday that the U.N. has asked Tunisian authorities about the reasons for his arrest and the conditions under which he is being held.

He said the U.N. also informed authorities that "experts on mission for the United Nations, as Mr. Kartas is, are covered by the convention on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations."

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be attending the Arab League summit in Tunis this weekend. </s> The United Nations logo in the corridors of the its headquarters in New York City (AFP Photo/Ludovic MARIN)

Tunis (AFP) - A UN official charged with investigating alleged violations of a UN arms embargo on Libya, has been detained in neighbouring Tunisia on suspicion of spying, Tunisian and UN officials said Friday.

Moncef Kartas, a member of the panel of experts of the Libya sanctions committee, was arrested on his arrival in Tunis on Tuesday, a UN spokesman told AFP.

"We are in contact with the Tunisian authorities to know why he has been held for questioning," a UN statement said, adding that as a UN expert Kartas was entitled to diplomatic immunity.

Tunisia website universnews said Kartas had dual Tunisian and German nationality.

Confirmation of his arrest comes just a day before UN chief Antonio Guterres is due to attend an Arab summit in Tunis with the conflict in Libya to be high on the agenda.

After initially making no comment on the case, the Tunisian authorities confirmed on Friday that they had detained two Tunisians, including Kartas, on suspicion of "spying for foreign parties".

"Confidential documents containing sensitive detailed data capable of harming national security were seized, along with technical equipment for jamming and intercepting communications that is banned in our country," the interior ministry said in a statement.

In a 2017 report co-signed by Kartas, the UN panel of experts found that arms and ammunition continued to be delivered to the warring parties in Libya in violation of the UN embargo with the involvement of member states. </s> TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian authorities have detained a U.N. official involved in monitoring an international arms embargo on Libya as part of an investigation by an anti-terrorism unit, state news agency TAP said on Saturday.

It was the first time Tunisia had confirmed the arrest of the official, Tunisian national Moncef Kartas, who a U.N. spokesman said on Friday had been detained earlier in the week at Tunis airport despite having diplomatic immunity.

A spokesman for a Tunisian anti-terrorism judiciary unit told TAP the detained official had travelled in a private capacity on his Tunisian passport, meaning he was not entitled to diplomatic immunity and could be arrested.

The U.N. spokesman had also called on Tunisia to clarify the reason for his arrest. Saturday's TAP report said it was linked to a probe by the special judiciary unit, but gave no further details.

On Friday, the interior ministry said two unnamed Tunisians had been arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of spying. It did not say if Kartas was one of the two.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button. </s> A global rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has charged Tunisia to bar entry to or arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is a fugitive from international justice.

A Sudanese news source reported on March 21, 2019 that al-Bashir intends to attend the League of Arab States summit, which will be held in Tunisia, a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on March 31.

Al-Bashir is sought on two ICC warrants for alleged genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, Sudan.

“Tunisia should demonstrate its commitment to international justice by barring President al-Bashir or arresting him if he sets foot in the country,” said Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at HRW. “Al-Bashir is an international fugitive who should be in The Hague to face the charges against him, not attending summits hosted by ICC members.”

A visit by al-Bashir would be the first time Tunisia had allowed an ICC fugitive on its territory since it joined the court in 2011. Allowing al-Bashir to visit without arrest would be a reversal of Tunisia’s commitment to support and cooperate with the ICC under the court’s Rome Statute.

At the ICC’s annual meeting of member countries in December 2018, Tunisia’s ambassador in The Hague expressed, “the firm commitment of Tunisia to the Rome Statute and unwavering support for the fight against impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.”

While some ICC members have allowed al-Bashir on their territory, others have avoided such visits under their obligation to cooperate with the ICC, including by relocating or rescheduling meetings or asking Sudan to send other representatives to meetings. ICC members should urge Tunisia to take such action, HRW said.

In 2009, Botswana and Denmark both signaled that al-Bashir risked arrest if he entered their territory. In 2012, Malawi relocated an African Union (AU) summit because of the AU’s insistence that al-Bashir should be allowed to attend the meeting if it took place in Malawi as scheduled. Al-Bashir canceled a visit to Zambia in 2010 amid calls for his arrest. He traveled to Nigeria in 2013, but abruptly departed amid public outcry and a complaint filed by activists for his arrest.

In 2017, Jordan welcomed al-Bashir to attend a League of Arab States summit. The ICC judges concluded that Jordan had defied its international obligations to arrest al-Bashir and sent its finding to the United Nations Security Council. Jordan appealed the decision, which is pending before an ICC appeals chamber.

In recent months, Sudanese government security forces have used excessive force against protests: shooting and killing dozens of unarmed protesters, beating and torturing them, and attacking hospitals treating them.

Government forces have also attacked civilians in Darfur, despite government claims that the conflict there has ended. The longstanding impunity for human rights violations by authorities in Sudan has fueled ongoing brutality, HRW said.

As an ICC suspect, the Sudanese president would receive the full range of protections under international law for people accused of crimes at the court.

“The ICC relies on its member states like Tunisia for cooperation in the surrender of suspects to be effective,” Keppler said. “Darfur victims, hundreds of thousands of whom have lived in refugee or displaced persons camps for well over a decade, deserve to see al-Bashir face justice at long last.” </s> US condemns arrests of AFP reporter, others at Sudan demo

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States condemned Sudan’s arbitrary detention of journalists Friday after an AFP reporter and two colleagues were arrested covering a street protest.

Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali of Agence France-Presse and at least two more journalists were taken away by authorities on Wednesday as they reported on a demonstration against rising food prices.

They have not been allowed contact with their families or employers and authorities say they are being held “for investigation” by Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

“We are aware of the detentions and are closely following the reports,” US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told AFP.

“We condemn the harassment, arbitrary detention and attacks on journalists in Sudan who are doing their jobs and exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression.”

The United States has had difficult relations with Sudan, on which it once imposed several economic sanctions regimes over its alleged support for terrorism and brutality against the people of Darfur.

But last year US officials removed the last of the sanctions as part of a deliberate diplomatic engagement process.

Concerns remain, however, about the regime of Omar al-Bashir, who is under indictment by the International Criminal Court accused of ordering mass killings, rape and torture in the Darfur region.

“We remain deeply concerned about freedom of expression, including for members of the media, the closing of political space for all Sudanese, and Sudan’s poor overall human rights record,” Nauert said.

“We continue to press Sudan to improve its performance in these areas, and to ensure that those detained are treated humanely and fairly… and that they are allowed access to legal counsel and their families.”

Idris Ali, a 51-year-old who has worked for AFP for nearly a decade, was covering protests Wednesday in the city of Omdurman, where riot police fired tear gas at some 200 protesters.

He was unreachable after the protest and authorities informed AFP the next day that he had been arrested along with two other journalists.

Authorities initially said Idris Ali would be released within hours but as of late Friday, more than 48 hours after he was detained, he was still being held.

“AFP management strongly condemns the arrest of Mr. Idris Ali and asks Sudanese authorities for his immediate release,” the agency said.

Several protesters were also reported to have been detained at the demonstration.

Sporadic protests have erupted across Sudan after prices of food, notably bread, surged following a jump in the cost of flour due to a shortage of wheat.

Wednesday’s rally was called by the main opposition Umma Party, a day after a similar demonstration organized by the Communist Party in Khartoum was broken up by police.

Authorities cracked down on similar protests in 2016, and rights groups say dozens were killed by security forces in 2013 protests.

Critics have long accused Khartoum of persecuting the media, with watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranking the country 174th out of 180 countries in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Tunisian authorities acknowledge they are detaining Tunisian national Moncef Kartas, a UN Libyan arms embargo monitor who has diplomatic immunity. Tunisia says Mr. Kartas had traveled in a private capacity on his Tunisian passport. The United Nations has called for his release and for Tunisia to clarify the reason for his arrest.