Tunisia: LGBT activist’s assault by police seen as a pattern

 | 
12/09/2021

TUNIS, Tunisia — A prominent LGBTQ activist in Tunisia has reported that two men, one dressed in police uniform, threw him to the ground, beat and kicked him during an assault they said was punishment for his “insulting” attempts to file complaints against officers for previous mistreatment. “This was not the first time that I had been attacked by a policeman, but I was really surprised. The attack was horrifying,” Badr Baabou, president of the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality, or Damj, said. “They aimed for my head… at a moment they stood on my neck. This was very symbolic for me, as if they wanted to reduce me to silence.” The Oct. 21 attack in Tunisia’s capital left Baabou with welts and bruises on his face and body. He said that neck trauma caused difficulty breathing, and that his assailants took his laptop, phone and wallet. Police have not publicly commented on Baabou’s account, although his lawyer says an internal police investigation is underway. Police violence is among the myriad challenges that LGBTQ people experience in Tunisia. Observers say officers who can dispense beatings with impunity are becoming increasingly brazen. Homosexual activity in the North African country remains a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 09/07/2024
09/06/2024
Russia has blocked the streaming of Brokeback Mountain, a 2005 American film exploring a love affair between two men, from three piracy websites, Roskomsvoboda, …
Added on: 09/07/2024
09/06/2024
A coalition of U.S. Congressional leaders, filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Skrmetti. The case challenges Tennessee Senate Bill …
Added on: 09/07/2024
09/06/2024
As soon as Michel Barnier was named France’s new prime minister, critics found a skeleton in his closet. Back in 1981, the 30-year-old lawmaker …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 09/07/2024
Gender-affirming healthcare plays a crucial role in the lives of transgender individuals, helping them align their gender identity with their legal documents. The Aurum …
Added on: 09/06/2024
LGBTQ activists in Ivory Coast expressed concern on Thursday over verbal and physical attacks fanned by social media targeting gay and transgender people. Anti-LGBTQ …
Added on: 09/04/2024
Esau is a young effeminate member of the choir Chant du Salut at an evangelical revival church in the Ahala district of Yaoundé, the …