Cassation Court in Gabès Sentences Activists of the 'Stop Pollution' Campaign to 6 Months in Prison with Suspended Sentence
The Cassation Court in Gabès has sentenced eight activists of the 'Stop Pollution' campaign to six months in prison with suspended sentence in a case filed by the Tunisian Chemical Group.
The criminal chamber of the Court of First Instance in Gabès has issued a verdict convicting eight activists of the 'Stop Pollution' campaign. The verdict sentenced the activists to six months in prison with suspended sentence in a case filed by the Tunisian Chemical Group.
The court rejected the appeal in form against two activists in light of previous protests. The Tunisian Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms condemned the judicial decision and considered it a continuous tightening on the right to peaceful protest.
The 'Stop Pollution' campaign reaffirmed its firm rejection of criminalizing environmental activism and remains committed to its demands for the dismantling of the polluting units of the chemical group and the end of follow-ups.
In a statement, Khairdin Dhib, the spokesperson for the 'Stop Pollution' campaign, said that the conviction of the activists will not stop their protests against the environmental violations caused by the chemical group in the region, which has turned the lives of residents into a hell, and the environmental campaign demanding the dismantling of the chemical group's units will not stop until this demand is met.