Tunisian Detained Leader Karim Harouni on Hunger Strike

Karim HAROUNI, the Tunisian political of conscience and ex-Secretary General of The Tunisian General Union of Students, started a hunger strike starting from last Monday, July, 9th, 2007.
 
Harouni, a prominent leader in the Al-Nahda (Renaissance) Movement, started the hunger strike to protest at the inhumane ill-treatment that he faces inside prison .
 
Abdul Karim Harouni’s father and family sent an urgent call to human rights organizations, international civil society institutions and media to immediately intervene and exercise pressure on Tunisian government to release Abdul Karim Harouni.
 
This is the text of the call
 
 
 
Urgent Call
 To all international and Tunisian human rights organizations, civil society institutions, media, parties, figures and all freemen all over the world:
The health of our son Abdul Karim Harouni is critically endangered in the civil prison of Mornaguia due to the ill treatment and illegal exercises he is facing from the public administration of prisons and his prison administration as well. He has started a hunger strike on Monday July, 9th, 2007, and he has refused to take any food since a while, given that the prison food is substandard and unacceptable. He confirmed that he will not have such a food until it is submitted to legal and human. In addition to improving air conditions and the treatment which he describes as “bad”.
 
Even me; I am on a hunger strike to be in solidarity with my son Karim. All the family has been in distress during the past months due to the harassments exercised against him, putting his life at the stakes.
 
Nothing improved according to our son in our visit on 7-7-2007.
 
We telegraphed the Tunisian president, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, the general manager of prisons and correction and the chief of the supreme authority for key freedoms, on the same day.
We hope that he is released safe and sound from his 17 year prison to which he was thrown because he sought freedom for himself, his people and nation. We hope he is released and fully given all his political and civil rights to lead a normal life.
 
Finally, many thanks in the name of me and my son chief engineer Abdul Karim Harouni.
 
Many thanks to all freemen all over the world
Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you
Omar Harouni, father the prisoner of conscience Abdul Karim Harouni
Al-Karm Al-Gharbi- Tunisia
telephone: 21671971180
 
Noteworthy, Abdul Karim Harouni was a student union chief whom the Tunisian university and official media described as moderate and wise and fellow students considered as an eloquent speaker, experienced intellectual and a clever unionist during the 1980s. He believed only in negotiating and a peaceful methods for defending student rights and freedoms.