| TUNISIA Tunisian Republic Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah Joined United Nations: 12 November 1956 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Updated 23 September 2012 |
Article 5 [Personal Integrity, Conscience, Belief]
The Tunisian Republic guarantees the inviolability of the human person and freedom of conscience, and protects the free exercise of
beliefs, with reservation that they do not disturb the public order.
Article 6 [Equality]
All citizens have the same rights and the same duties. They are equal before the law.
Article 7 [Legitimate Purposes of Restriction]
The citizens exercise the plenitude of their rights in the forms and conditions established by the law. The exercise of these rights cannot
be limited except by a law enacted for the protection of others, the respect for the public order, the national defense, the development of
the economy, and social progress.
Article 8 [Expression, Unions]
(1) The liberties of opinion, expression, the press, publication, assembly, and association are guaranteed and exercised within the
conditions defined by the law.
(2) The right of unionization is guaranteed.
Article 9 [Home, Secrecy of Correspondence]
The inviolability of the home and the secrecy of correspondence are guaranteed, save in exceptional cases established by the law.
Article 10 [Move, Domicile]
Every citizen has the right to move freely in the interior of the territory, to leave it, and to establish his domicile within the limits
established by the law.
Article 11 [Expatriation]
No citizen can be expatriated or prevented from returning to his country.
Article 12 [Presumption of Innocence]
Every accused person is presumed innocent until his guilt is established in accordance with a procedure offering him guarantees
indispensable for his defence.
Article 13 [Personal Punishment, Nulla Poena Sine Lege]
The sentence is personal and cannot be pronounced except by virtue of a law existing prior to the punishable act.
Article 14 [Property]
The right to property is guaranteed. It is exercised within the limits established by the law.
Article 15 [Duty to Defense]
The defense of the country and the integrity of its territory is a sacred duty of every citizen.
Article 16 [Duty to Pay Taxes]
The payment of taxes and the contribution to public expenditures on an equitable basis constitute a duty for every person.
Article 17 [Asylum]
Political refugees cannot be extradited.
Chapter II Legislative Power
Article 18 [National Parliament]
The people exercise the legislative power through a representative organ called National Parliament.
Article 19 [Election]
The members of the National Parliament are elected by
universal, free, direct, and secret suffrage, according to the modalities and conditions determined by the Electoral Law.
Article 20 [Right to Vote]
An elector is every citizen possessing Tunisian nationality for at least five years and having attained at least twenty years of age.
The Tunisian Republic guarantees the inviolability of the human person and freedom of conscience, and protects the free exercise of
beliefs, with reservation that they do not disturb the public order.
Article 6 [Equality]
All citizens have the same rights and the same duties. They are equal before the law.
Article 7 [Legitimate Purposes of Restriction]
The citizens exercise the plenitude of their rights in the forms and conditions established by the law. The exercise of these rights cannot
be limited except by a law enacted for the protection of others, the respect for the public order, the national defense, the development of
the economy, and social progress.
Article 8 [Expression, Unions]
(1) The liberties of opinion, expression, the press, publication, assembly, and association are guaranteed and exercised within the
conditions defined by the law.
(2) The right of unionization is guaranteed.
Article 9 [Home, Secrecy of Correspondence]
The inviolability of the home and the secrecy of correspondence are guaranteed, save in exceptional cases established by the law.
Article 10 [Move, Domicile]
Every citizen has the right to move freely in the interior of the territory, to leave it, and to establish his domicile within the limits
established by the law.
Article 11 [Expatriation]
No citizen can be expatriated or prevented from returning to his country.
Article 12 [Presumption of Innocence]
Every accused person is presumed innocent until his guilt is established in accordance with a procedure offering him guarantees
indispensable for his defence.
Article 13 [Personal Punishment, Nulla Poena Sine Lege]
The sentence is personal and cannot be pronounced except by virtue of a law existing prior to the punishable act.
Article 14 [Property]
The right to property is guaranteed. It is exercised within the limits established by the law.
Article 15 [Duty to Defense]
The defense of the country and the integrity of its territory is a sacred duty of every citizen.
Article 16 [Duty to Pay Taxes]
The payment of taxes and the contribution to public expenditures on an equitable basis constitute a duty for every person.
Article 17 [Asylum]
Political refugees cannot be extradited.
Chapter II Legislative Power
Article 18 [National Parliament]
The people exercise the legislative power through a representative organ called National Parliament.
Article 19 [Election]
The members of the National Parliament are elected by
universal, free, direct, and secret suffrage, according to the modalities and conditions determined by the Electoral Law.
Article 20 [Right to Vote]
An elector is every citizen possessing Tunisian nationality for at least five years and having attained at least twenty years of age.
In 1574, Tunisia was made a province of the Ottoman Empire. Throughout the 19th century it began to
assert more autonomy and in 1861, while still technically an Ottoman Province, created the very first
constitution in the Arab World. After a springtime invasion, France officially proclaimed Tunisia a
protectorate on 12 May 1881. Nationalist sentiment arose after World War I, and Tunisia was occupied
by General Rommel for Germany and later General Montgomery for Britain and became a staging
ground for the Allied assault on Sicily. After the war, France reclaimed its authority over Tunisia but
spawned violent resistance to French dominion in 1954. On 20 March 1956, Tunisia declared its
independence as a constitutional monarchy. The monarch was abolished in 1957 by Prime Minister
Habib Bourguiba and was under de facto one party rule for 31 years with very progressive ideals,
particularly with secular, pro-women reforms, unheard of in the Arab world. On 7 November 1987,
Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali overthrew Bourguiba and established a more Muslim identity to
the nation. The constitution was amended on 12 July 1988 and 2002 to effect presidential term limits
with human rights enumerated beginning with Article 5 and to conform with the terms and obligations as
set forth in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Tunisia is a signatory. A
Constituent Assembly has been convened to draft a new constitution predicted to be submitted for review
in October 2012. Those articles pertaining to human rights are listed below. For a full English translation
of Tunisia's constitution, click here.
assert more autonomy and in 1861, while still technically an Ottoman Province, created the very first
constitution in the Arab World. After a springtime invasion, France officially proclaimed Tunisia a
protectorate on 12 May 1881. Nationalist sentiment arose after World War I, and Tunisia was occupied
by General Rommel for Germany and later General Montgomery for Britain and became a staging
ground for the Allied assault on Sicily. After the war, France reclaimed its authority over Tunisia but
spawned violent resistance to French dominion in 1954. On 20 March 1956, Tunisia declared its
independence as a constitutional monarchy. The monarch was abolished in 1957 by Prime Minister
Habib Bourguiba and was under de facto one party rule for 31 years with very progressive ideals,
particularly with secular, pro-women reforms, unheard of in the Arab world. On 7 November 1987,
Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali overthrew Bourguiba and established a more Muslim identity to
the nation. The constitution was amended on 12 July 1988 and 2002 to effect presidential term limits
with human rights enumerated beginning with Article 5 and to conform with the terms and obligations as
set forth in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Tunisia is a signatory. A
Constituent Assembly has been convened to draft a new constitution predicted to be submitted for review
in October 2012. Those articles pertaining to human rights are listed below. For a full English translation
of Tunisia's constitution, click here.