The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) expresses its strongest condemnation of the ruling issued against the notable judge Anas Al-Hammadi, President of the Tunisian Judges Association, by the Court of First Instance in Tunis on 6 April, sentencing him to one year’s imprisonment in connection with his exercise of his right, as a judge, to engage in public matters and to defend the independence of the judiciary in Tunisia. The ACIJLP considers that Judge Al-Hammadi exercised his legitimate right, in his capacity as a judge and President of the Tunisian Judges Association, to defend judicial independence and to protect its members against interference by the executive authority in the work of the Tunisian judiciary, in accordance with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1985. Articles 7 and 8 of these Principles affirm that members of the judiciary, like other citizens, are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association, and assembly, and that judges have the right to form associations or other organizations to represent their interests, promote their professional training, and safeguard their independence.

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The Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Professions (ACIJLP) in collaboration with One World Initiatives organizes a workshop on “Reducing the Application of the Death Penalty” during the period from 10 to 11 March 2012 in Tunisia.

The Workshop comes in the framework of the ACIJLP’s campaign on the project “Towards Reducing the Application of the Death Penalty in the Arab States” which launched by the ACIJLP at the beginning of the year 2010 and will continue till the year 2013 with financial support from the European Union (EU). The Campaign includes many events including regional and international conferences, training courses and research studies related to reducing and abolishing the death penalty in the Arab Legislation.

A number of judges, lawyers, law professors, human rights activists and Tunisian media figures will participate in the workshop.

The Workshop aims at activating the role of law professionals including judges, lawyers and law professors in reducing the Application of the Death Penalty in the Arab States, in addition to activating the role of media Institutions and Human Rights Organizations in disseminating tolerance, fighting violence, reducing the application of the death penalty and replacing such penalty with alternative sanctions. Moreover, the workshop discusses the standards and controls that should be adhered to when executing the death penalty, as well as having attention to the internationally recognized guarantees on the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty.

The workshop sheds light on the International Conventions and Covenants related to protection of the right to life, the status of application of the death penalty in the Arab States and the Stand of these countries to ratify or accede to the conventions and Covenants against the death penalty. The workshop will also discuss the approach of Islamic law “Sharia” on reducing the application of the death penalty, and put forward views on the proposals for the gradual abolition of the death penalty in the Arab States and alternative sanctions.