EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/165

(2004/C 70 E/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2931/03

by Marco Cappato (NI), Maurizio Turco (NI), Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI) and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: Appointment of General Ammar as Chairman of the National Organising Committee for the World Summit on the Information Society

Between 1984 and 1987, during which time General Habib Ammar commanded the National Guard, torture became a common practice in the Tunisian gendarmerie.

In 1986, General Habib Ammar set up the National Special Services Department (Abhath Wa Taftich), whose main base was the Auoina barracks, in which torture was systematically and constantly practised against hundreds of prisons, most of whom were opponents to the Bourguiba regime.

Following General Ben Ali's coup d'état, General Habib Ammar was appointed Interior Minister in the Tunisian Government in November 1987. During his time at the head of the Interior Ministry, the Ministry's premises were transformed into detention and torture centres.

With a view to preparing for the holding of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the second stage of whose proceedings will be held in Tunisia from 16 to 18 November 2005, the Tunisian Government has set up a National Organising Committee for the WSIS and has appointed General Habib Ammar chairman of the committee.

Furthermore, the persistent violations of the right to freedom of expression and opinion, both on-line and off-line, which are a daily feature of political life in Tunisia and the fact that journalists and Internet users are being arrested, tortured and sentenced to heavy custodial sentences.

Would the Commission not agree that every possible means of political, diplomatic and economic pressure should be used to persuade the Tunisian Government to revoke the appointment of General Ammar as Chairman of the National Organising Committee for the WSIS?

Would it agree that it should speak out and take steps with a view to securing the suspension of the decision to hold the second session of the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia in 2005 until such time as the Tunisian Government ensures that the full enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression is genuinely guaranteed by Tunisian law?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of the appointment referred to by the Honourable Members.

As the Commission has already made clear in its reply to written question E-2554/03 by Mr. Cappato (1) on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) several factors need to be borne in mind.

First, holding the second session of the WSIS summit in Tunisia is a decision taken by the United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA) and therefore has only indirectly involved the Commission.

Second, the fact the summit will be held along the Johannesburg model implies a range of positive side effects likely to benefit Tunisian civil society: a whole range of different actors will be involved in the preparation phase as well as in the summit itself.

Third, the Commission, in its communication (2) to the Council and the Parliament ‘Towards a Global Partnership in the Information society: EU perspective in the context of the UN World Summit on the Information Society’ points out that the following principles need to be solemnly ‘upheld and extended within the information society: The right of freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with the provisions of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights’. This will also be its approach with Tunisia.

In so far as the appointment of general Ammar is more than an internal Tunisian matter, the organisation of the WSIS Depends on the UNGA and its members.

However, the Commission will follow the situation, and if opportune, open the dialogue with Tunisian Authorities in close co-operation with the Member States.

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 175.

(2) COM(2003) 271 final.