Tunisia to reduce penalties for Zatla users

Tunisia's National Security Council met on Wednesday to consider reducing penalties for cannabis users.

Partial repeal of Bill 52

The main focus of the meeting was the fight against terrorism. In the background, the members of the government also discussed a reduction in penalties for cannabis users. In their sights, Bill 52, This law was passed under the Ben Ali dictatorship in 1992. This law provides for one year's imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 dinars (€406) for a non-recidivist consumer. These sentences are systematic and no distinction is made between convicted offenders.

According to the Kapitalis website, Judges will now be able to hand down sentences on a case-by-case basis. Tunisian parliamentarians will shortly be voting on a partial repeal of Law 52.

Prior to this measure, cannabis users had to spend a minimum of one month behind bars before they could be pardoned. This provisional measure allows the decision to be applied from March 20, pending discussions in Parliament on the partial repeal of Law 52.

Action-reaction

This decision no doubt follows the incarceration of two high school students for drug use. We have to think about these two students, after spending a year in prison, especially as our prison system is not based on reform but on criminal entrenchment», says the director. Feryel Charfedinne of the humanitarian association «Calam». According to this association leader, the submission to a urine test on the mere suspicion of consumption should be abolished in the name of »physical harm to the person».

According to lawyer Ghazi Mrabet, who specializes in defending cannabis users, the police will now have to call a prosecutor (as is currently the case in France) to charge the suspect.

Judges will now have the right to soften their sentences by applying article 53 of the penal code. For example, a judge will not be obliged to hand down a prison sentence, even if the fine is increased, of course. Zatla smokers could be sentenced to community service or suspended sentences, avoiding prison for the first mistake.

For the moment, decriminalizing consumption is not on the agenda.

Théo Caillart