Franco-Tunisian citizen Onsi Abichou, imprisoned in Tunisia for alleged drug trafficking, has vowed to stop eating to protest what he calls a “flagrant miscarriage of justice,” his lawyers said Friday.
Abichou, incarcerated for over 17 years, has faced a labyrinth of legal proceedings © Mena Today
Franco-Tunisian citizen Onsi Abichou, imprisoned in Tunisia for alleged drug trafficking, has vowed to stop eating to protest what he calls a “flagrant miscarriage of justice,” his lawyers said Friday.
Abichou, incarcerated for over 17 years, has faced a labyrinth of legal proceedings: 10 trials, 4 default judgments, 4 acquittals, and repeated appeals by prosecutors. He has been tried twice for the same case, stemming from a 2008 cannabis bust involving a van he once owned. A suspect who initially accused him later recanted, citing torture during interrogation.
Despite his consistent claims of innocence, Abichou was re-arrested in 2021 after being briefly freed in 2011 following Tunisia’s revolution. His French lawyers, William Bourdon and Lily Ravon, warn he is in grave psychological distress and denied pardon, while others convicted in the same case have long been released.
Abichou’s 11th trial is expected soon. His legal team is urging urgent international attention, saying: “He has decided to let himself die.”
A 6.24-magnitude earthquake struck early Thursday morning at 6:19 a.m. Cairo local time, causing mild tremors in parts of Egypt but resulting in no reported casualties or damage to infrastructure or facilities.
Sudan said the United Arab Emirates was responsible for an attack on Port Sudan this month, accusing the Gulf state for the first time of direct military intervention in a war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Austria and Slovakia have officially announced their support for the candidacy of Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, for the position of Director-General of UNESCO.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.