Najib El Baccouchi, a member of the General Union of Tunisian Students, UGET, has been subjected to cruel and degrading treatment during his hunger-strike which began on 22 April 1995. Since that date he has been held in isolation, with one foot constantly chained. He was tried in Tunis on 9 November 1994 by the Tribunal de premiere instance, without a lawyer, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and three years’ administrative control for posssession of a leaflet advocating racial hatred and for organizing an unauthorized meeting. This is the third time since his trial that he has been on hunger-strike. There is concern that he may be detained as a prisoner of conscience for his political activities in the student union.
