Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

wrongs done them under the former regime, to the point where progress in the
constitution writing process and in the governing coalition is affected. Third, Tunisia’s
autocracy was expressed through a police state, and it was the actions of a petty and
corrupt police force grinding down that eventually exploded into the first sparks of the
revolution. There are numerous anxieties now surrounding purging, vetting and
reforming the Tunisian police, and what should be done with those found to warrant
removal. Finally, there is the issue of pursuing justice with regard to Ben Ali and
recuperating the personal wealth that was the product of his corruption. How much is it
realistic or desirable to spend on attempting to force these issues? What should be done
with the extensive property seized from the Trabelsi family and others? As the flush of
success from the revolution fades, these questions are set to become more and more
relevant.
Amnesty
On 14 February 2011, exactly a month after former President Ben Ali boarded a plane for
Saudi Arabia, the Transitional Government of Tunisia led by interim Prime Minister
Mohammed Ghannouchi reaffirmed the general amnesty for political prisoners
imprisoned under the Ben Ali regime apparently granted on 19 January. More
specifically, it called for the release of all prisoners detained as a result of their
membership or active participation within the large number of political groups banned
under the former regime.
The move was controversial at the time, as it deliberately did not distinguish more
intimately between the charges against individual inmates. Although exact numbers are
unavailable, it is estimated that hundreds of prisoners were released under this amnesty, if
not more, although there remain many individuals who had been presumed imprisoned
who remain unaccounted for. The reason for this may be that they “disappeared” while
in police custody or that they were not classified as political prisoners by the Transitional
Government’s standards for release, but calls from families for information on their wellbeing
remain strong.
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