Tunisia: Disturbing new evidence of security force brutality revealed

[Joanne98]

Source: Amnesty.org

Amnesty International has today revealed disturbing new evidence of the brutal methods used by Tunisian security forces to try to quell anti-Government protests in recent weeks.

An Amnesty research team, which has just returned from Tunisia, found that security forces used disproportionate force to disperse protesters and in some cases fired on fleeing protesters and bystanders.

Doctors’ testimonies seen by the Amnesty International research team show that some protesters in Kasserine and Thala were shot from behind, indicating that they were fleeing. Others in Kasserine, Thala, Tunis and Regueb were killed by single shots to the chest or head, suggesting deliberate intent to kill.

Amnesty researchers found that while some protesters acted violently, security forces used disproportionate force to disperse protesters and resorted to lethal force when it was not strictly necessary. Tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition were widely used even when protesters were peaceful, and protesters were beaten with batons. Witnesses told Amnesty that some of those killed could not have possibly posed a threat to the lives of security forces. Other victims were not involved in the protests at all.



Read more: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=19207

[reorg]

1. they also killed a French/German photographer

It would appear that they deliberately targeted reporters, or at least this one:

The Paris-based, French-German dual national photographer was covering the protests in Tunisia when, on Friday 14 January, he was hit, in the face, by a tear gas canister fired by a police officer. According to reports, Dolega was hit at point-blank range, suffering head trauma.

...

Horacio Villalobos, EPA's Paris bureau chief, says that the "incident" was deliberate. "If a police officer shoots a tear gas canister, such as in this case, less than five meters away, aiming for the head, it's with the goal of injuring someone, if not kill him," says Villalobos . "For me, as Lucas' friend and colleague, I believe this . It's not a lost bullet. I think it was a crime, a real murder.

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1937417/french-photographer-dies-tunisia

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Joanne.