BETA


2023/2588(RSP) Resolution on recent attacks in Tunisia against freedom of expression and association, and against trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 144, RoP 144-p2

Events

2023/03/16
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2023/03/16
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 496 votes to 28, with 13 abstentions, a resolution on recent attacks in Tunisia against freedom of expression and association, and against trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR, The Left groups and Members.

As a reminder, President Saied has been ruling alone since 25 July 2021, dismissing the government, dissolving the Assembly, the 2014 Constitution, the Independent High Authority for Elections, the High Judicial Council, all municipal councils and 57 judges.

On 13 February 2023, counter-terrorist units arrested journalist Noureddine Boutar, director of Tunisia’s largest independent radio station, on politically motivated grounds and unfounded allegations, alongside a dozen opposition voices. The arrested journalists were branded ‘terrorists’ and ‘traitors’.

Moreover, union representative Anis Kaabi was arrested on 31 January 2023, over 36 trade unionists were prosecuted for striking, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch was expelled from Tunisia on 23 February 2023, and unions from six EU countries were denied entry.

The NGO Bill allegedly provides for ‘prior government approval of NGOs and Central Bank approval for foreign funding’.

Parliament called on Tunisia to:

- immediately release Noureddine Boutar and all others who have been arbitrarily detained, including journalists, judges, lawyers, political activists and trade unionists such as Anis Kaabi, and to respect freedom of expression and association as well as trade unions’ and workers’ rights;

- ensure social dialogue, to respect collective agreements and to take action to tackle the cost of living crisis;

- end to the ongoing crackdown on civil society. In this regard, the EU Delegation and Member States are called on to monitor and attend political trials and engage in regular dialogue with civil society;

- immediately reinstate the judges who were arbitrarily dismissed, reverse all measures undermining judicial independence, and end the use of military courts to prosecute civilians;

- comply with international and national laws, notably law 50-2018 against racial discrimination.

Lastly, the resolution stressed that specific EU support programmes to the Ministries of Justice and Interior Affairs should be suspended.

Documents
2023/03/16
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2023/03/15
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/03/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents

Documents

Activities

Votes

Tunisie: récentes atteintes à la liberté d'expression et d'association et attaques contre les syndicats, en particulier le cas du journaliste Noureddine Boutar - Tunisia: Recent attacks against freedom of expression and association and trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar - Die jüngsten Angriffe auf das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung, die Vereinigungsfreiheit und Gewerkschaften in Tunesien, insbesondere der Fall des Journalisten Noureddine Boutar - RC-B9-0171/2023 /rev - § 1 - Am 1 #

2023/03/16 Outcome: +: 240, -: 209, 0: 95
PL IT IE PT FR ES SE SI HR LU MT HU EL BE BG SK EE CY LV LT AT DK NL CZ FI RO DE
Total
47
50
13
20
60
41
20
8
10
5
3
3
11
20
11
12
6
1
6
8
16
12
25
21
10
25
80
icon: S&D S&D
106

Slovenia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2

Hungary S&D

2

Belgium S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Denmark S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
54

Croatia ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

3

Romania ECR

1

Germany ECR

1
icon: The Left The Left
31

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Denmark The Left

1

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Germany The Left

3
icon: NI NI
17

France NI

Against (2)

2
1

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Slovakia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Latvia NI

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Germany NI

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
63

Poland Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Romania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1
icon: ID ID
48

Estonia ID

Abstain (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Czechia ID

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Finland ID

Abstain (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
89

Poland Renew

1

Italy Renew

2

Ireland Renew

2

Sweden Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Hungary Renew

Against (1)

1

Bulgaria Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

Against (2)

2

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

Against (1)

1

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Finland Renew

3
icon: PPE PPE
136

Slovenia PPE

For (1)

4

Croatia PPE

3

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

Against (1)

1

Belgium PPE

4

Slovakia PPE

3

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

Against (1)

1

Latvia PPE

3

Lithuania PPE

3

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

RC-B9-0171/2023 /rev - Après le § 1 - Am 2 #

2023/03/16 Outcome: +: 266, -: 212, 0: 66
IT PL IE FR ES PT BE HR SE NL AT MT HU EL EE SI BG SK CY CZ LV DK LT FI LU RO DE
Total
50
47
13
60
41
20
20
10
20
25
16
3
3
11
6
8
11
12
1
21
6
12
8
10
5
25
80
icon: S&D S&D
106

Belgium S&D

2

Malta S&D

2

Hungary S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1

Denmark S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
53

Croatia ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

Abstain (1)

3

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

1

Germany ECR

1
icon: The Left The Left
31

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Denmark The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Germany The Left

3
icon: NI NI
17

France NI

Against (2)

2
1

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Latvia NI

1

Germany NI

2
icon: ID ID
48
3

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Czechia ID

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Finland ID

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
63

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Poland Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Romania Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
89

Italy Renew

2

Poland Renew

1

Ireland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Sweden Renew

3

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Hungary Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

Against (2)

2

Slovenia Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

Against (1)

1

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

Against (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2
icon: PPE PPE
137

Belgium PPE

4

Croatia PPE

3

Netherlands PPE

For (1)

4

Malta PPE

Against (1)

1

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia PPE

4

Slovakia PPE

3

Cyprus PPE

Against (1)

1

Latvia PPE

3

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania PPE

3

Finland PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

RC-B9-0171/2023 /rev - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #

2023/03/16 Outcome: +: 496, -: 28, 0: 13
DE IT PL ES FR RO NL SE CZ PT BE IE AT DK SK EL BG HR FI SI LT EE LV LU MT HU CY
Total
79
50
48
41
57
24
25
20
21
19
20
13
16
12
12
11
10
10
9
8
8
6
6
5
3
3
1
icon: PPE PPE
132

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1
3

Finland PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
105

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Belgium S&D

2

Denmark S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2

Hungary S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
88

Italy Renew

2

Poland Renew

1
3

Ireland Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Bulgaria Renew

For (1)

1

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

1

Estonia Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Hungary Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
63

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Romania Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2
icon: ECR ECR
54

Germany ECR

1

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

Abstain (1)

3

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Croatia ECR

1
icon: The Left The Left
30

Germany The Left

3

France The Left

2

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Portugal The Left

4

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Denmark The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
17

Germany NI

2
1

France NI

Against (2)

2

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Latvia NI

1
icon: ID ID
48

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2

Austria ID

3

Finland ID

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/6
date
2023-03-16T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0084_EN.html title: T9-0084/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1
date
2023-03-16T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0084_EN.html title: T9-0084/2023
events/1
date
2023-03-16T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=59650&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/2
date
2023-03-16T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0084_EN.html title: T9-0084/2023
events/2/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 496 votes to 28, with 13 abstentions, a resolution on recent attacks in Tunisia against freedom of expression and association, and against trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar.
  • The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR, The Left groups and Members.
  • As a reminder, President Saied has been ruling alone since 25 July 2021, dismissing the government, dissolving the Assembly, the 2014 Constitution, the Independent High Authority for Elections, the High Judicial Council, all municipal councils and 57 judges.
  • On 13 February 2023, counter-terrorist units arrested journalist Noureddine Boutar, director of Tunisia’s largest independent radio station, on politically motivated grounds and unfounded allegations, alongside a dozen opposition voices. The arrested journalists were branded ‘terrorists’ and ‘traitors’.
  • Moreover, union representative Anis Kaabi was arrested on 31 January 2023, over 36 trade unionists were prosecuted for striking, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch was expelled from Tunisia on 23 February 2023, and unions from six EU countries were denied entry.
  • The NGO Bill allegedly provides for ‘prior government approval of NGOs and Central Bank approval for foreign funding’.
  • Parliament called on Tunisia to:
  • - immediately release Noureddine Boutar and all others who have been arbitrarily detained, including journalists, judges, lawyers, political activists and trade unionists such as Anis Kaabi, and to respect freedom of expression and association as well as trade unions’ and workers’ rights;
  • - ensure social dialogue, to respect collective agreements and to take action to tackle the cost of living crisis;
  • - end to the ongoing crackdown on civil society. In this regard, the EU Delegation and Member States are called on to monitor and attend political trials and engage in regular dialogue with civil society;
  • - immediately reinstate the judges who were arbitrarily dismissed, reverse all measures undermining judicial independence, and end the use of military courts to prosecute civilians;
  • - comply with international and national laws, notably law 50-2018 against racial discrimination.
  • Lastly, the resolution stressed that specific EU support programmes to the Ministries of Justice and Interior Affairs should be suspended.
docs
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0171_EN.html title: B9-0171/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0173_EN.html title: B9-0173/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0179_EN.html title: B9-0179/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0182_EN.html title: B9-0182/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0183_EN.html title: B9-0183/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0185_EN.html title: B9-0185/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-03-16T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0084_EN.html title: T9-0084/2023 type: Text adopted by Parliament, single reading body: EP
events
  • date: 2023-03-15T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2023-03-15-TOC_EN.html title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2023-03-16T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0084_EN.html title: T9-0084/2023
  • date: 2023-03-16T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
forecasts
  • date: 2023-03-15T00:00:00 title: Debate in plenary scheduled
  • date: 2023-03-16T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/legal_basis/1
Rules of Procedure EP 144-p2
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting plenary debate/vote
New
Procedure completed
procedure/title
Old
Tunisia: Recent attacks against freedom of expression and association and trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar
New
Resolution on recent attacks in Tunisia against freedom of expression and association, and against trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar
forecasts/0
date
2023-03-15T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-03-13T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
forecasts/1
date
2023-03-16T00:00:00
title
Vote in plenary scheduled