Tunis — Tunisian associations called, Saturday in Tunis, for enshrining in the new Constitution respect for human rights in "their universality and comprehensiveness," abolishing death penalty and criminalising torture.

These associations, represented by the Tunisian chapter of Amnesty International, LTDH, ATFD, AFTURD and the Tunisian Coalition against Death Penalty said in their interventions at the opening of the ordinary general assembly of the Tunisian section of Amnesty International that an "inter-associative co-ordination" will be announced soon to co-ordinate their action with regard to these claims.

"We will continue our lobbying and street outreach action to push for including the respect of human rights, economic and social rights and abolition of death penalty in the new Constitution," said Mrs. Sondes Garbouj, President of the Tunisian section of Amnesty International, warning against the risk of "regression" in freedom of expression and opinion and also with regard to death penalty provisions.

"It is necessary to step up co-ordination between components of the civil society to defend human rights in their universality," said for his part, President of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) Abdessatar Ben Moussa.