US embassy cable - 05TUNIS826

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TUNIS 000826 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (LAWRENCE) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KMPI, KDEM, KISL, TS 
SUBJECT: VISIT TO WIFE OF IMPRISONED LAWYER PROMPTS 
POSITIVE REACTION AMONG CIVIL SOCIETY 
 
REF: TUNIS 503 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Hudson; Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  At the invitation of university economics 
professor and PA contact Fedhi Jerbi, Polcouns April 6 
visited the wife and family of Mohamad Abbou, the lawyer who 
was arrested March 1 for writing an online article harshly 
critical of President Ben Ali and his decision to invite 
Prime Minister Sharon to the World Summit on the Information 
Society (WSIS) in November.  On August 26, 2004, he had also 
posted an article likening the treatment of political 
prisoners in Tunisia with the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal. 
Several civil society contacts said they were heartened to 
see mention of our visit on the opposition website Tunisnews. 
 Simple public statements and actions leverage considerable 
influence here among civil society activists while drawing 
sometimes harsh reaction from the GOT.  We should look with a 
strategic eye on how and when to use this tool to advance our 
agenda. End Summary. 
 
2. (C)  The visit took place at the Abbou residence, a sparse 
ground floor apartment in the south of Tunis.  Present were 
Mrs. Samia Abbou, Jerbi and Rjiba Naziha (aka Neziha Rejiba 
Om Zied, the online journalist for al-Kalima, a web 
publication which is blocked here).  Mrs. Abbou said she was 
"very happy" that a U.S. representative was visiting; "We 
feel very alone," she said, referring to the group (called 
the International Committee for the Freedom of Mohamed Abbou) 
of lawyers and activists who have banded together to demand 
the release of her husband. 
 
3. (C) Mrs. Abbou said her husband had been arrested 
("kidnapped" was the term she used in French) on the evening 
of March 1 at a cafe where he had been with a friend.  She 
said that he did not resist arrest, since after the articles 
went online "he almost expected it."  But she said he asked 
the security officials to ensure that a tank of oxygen that 
was in his car be delivered to his father, who was bedridden 
at home.  Later, Mrs. Abbou said that she learned of the 
arrest when a security official did in fact come to her home 
that night with the oxygen; when she asked where her husband 
was, he responded "at a meeting, you should know," and 
disappeared with Abbou's car. (The car has never been 
returned.)   Mrs. Abbou also went into some detail about the 
harsh treatment she received when she showed up the next day 
(with some of Abbou's colleagues) at court to hear the 
charges against her husband.  According to her, when she 
approached the door to the court room, a security official 
pushed her to the floor and dragged her by one arm down the 
hallway, insulting her verbally.  She was not able to see her 
husband for several weeks, since he was moved from Tunis to a 
prison in El Kef (about 200 km away) without her knowledge. 
On April 4, she did travel to El Kef and was able to see him 
briefly; she says he is physically in good condition "but 
they are torturing him mentally." While the discussion 
continued about the general human rights situation in 
Tunisia, Mrs. Abbou was clearly most concerned about what the 
U.S. Embassy could do to help secure her husband's release. 
 
4. (C) On April 10, Jerbi posted a short article on the 
opposition website "Tunisnews" that made reference to the 
meeting and thanked the Embassy for its interest in the case 
"while regretting at the same time the almost deadly silence 
from diplomatic representatives of the EU countries."  The 
appearance of this short article prompted four e-mails from 
contacts to the Embassy in support of the meeting and urging 
more visible signs of support from the U.S. for human rights 
activists.   Neila Hachicha (protect) a contact trying to 
register a new political party and, while maintaining good 
relations with influential Tunisians also has close contact 
with the U.S. wrote: "what is important is that such a visit 
helps them understand that the U.S. cares about them, (and) 
they will stop insulting the U.S. and help people become more 
pro-American." 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: What struck us about this event was not so 
much the plight of Mohamed Abbou, which is not unique, but 
the positive reaction of some civil society activists to the 
fact that a U.S. official visited his wife.  We have often 
heard from long-time Embassy contacts that activists here 
watch keenly for "signals" from the U.S. and rely heavily on 
U.S. "protection" (which they claim comes by virtue of being 
an Embassy contact) while challenging regime abuses.  In 
terms of signals, even a brief mention of official U.S. 
disappointment on Tunisia's lack of reform is welcomed by the 
small activist community here, although they continue to urge 
more open criticism.  Our public words and actions are 
magnified here, perhaps more than in other countries, because 
of the lack of reform movement and a muted civil society. 
For the same reason, perhaps, the GOT is especially sensitive 
to our public criticism.  We should look with a strategic eye 
on how and when we can use this considerable tool to lend 
support to civil society and encourage them to assume their 
own role in promoting change. 
HUDSON