Tunisian Coalition calls for abolition of death penalty

The Tunisian Coalition against the Death Penalty (CTCPM) held a press conference on World Day Against Death Penalty, calling on the authorities to abolish this ruling permanently in the courts. The number of inmates under sentence of death in Tunisian prisons reached 136, according to the coalition including three women, according to Duha Ayadi, the coordinator of the Tunisian coalition. Hajar Al-Nasr, Secretary General of the CTCPM told A24 that the effective implementation of the penalty suspended in Tunisia since 1991, to join 23 other African countries; however the decision has not yet been implemented. Ayadi called on the Tunisian authorities to assume responsibility and implement the decision to stop the punishment immediately. The coalition also demanded the issuance of an official decision related to the revision of the penal code, and the abolition of the death penalty permanently. It also called for the abolition of the death penalty for crimes not considered “the most serious” under international law.