MRS SIHEM BEN SEDRINE

Early day motion 110, tabled 10 July 2001 by Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone (Conservative). Signed by 32 members.

That this House notes the Special Amnesty International UK Media award to Mrs Sihem Ben Sedrine, editor of the Tunisian Internet publication Kalima; regrets her arrest two weeks ago on Tuesday 26th June after a tour of Europe; notes her role as a journalist and a defender of human rights; calls on parliaments, people and governments around the world to express concern at her arrest, to ask for her immediate and unconditional release and to seek assurances that she will be treated humanely; asks the Tunisian authorities to allow all human rights defenders to work and campaign freely; and reminds all governments, including Tunisia, of the commitment to the Unilateral Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 19: everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Signatures by party: Labour 23, Liberal Democrat 5, Conservative 3, Labour/Co-operative 1.