Target: Joey R. Hood, US Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia
Goal: Acknowledge the efforts taken by the US to support the people of Tunisia.
The United States Department of State (DOS) expressed concerns about the ongoing situation in Tunisia. The latest demonstrations in Tunisia denounce the racist remarks by President Kais Saied, after he blamed ‘hordes’ of Sub-Saharan Africans for violence and unrest in the country. The ForceChange community sent this petition to the US embassy, asking to intervene in this crisis. The people of Tunisia have stood by the immigrant population and have been asking the President to apologize. US DOS spokesperson Ned Price was responding to questions from journalists when he presented the views of the government on Tunisia. In no uncertain terms, Mr. Price stated that the US government is engaged with the Tunisian government at all levels to uphold the fundamental values of human rights and freedom of expression. He stated that the US defends and encourages these universal rights not only in Tunisia but ‘anywhere and everywhere around the world.’
The US government expressed alarm about the reported criminal charges against key individuals in Tunisia who held meetings with embassy staff. The spokesperson referred to this as an ‘escalating pattern of arrests against perceived critics of the government.’ Mr. Price defended the meetings with the Tunisian people by stating that it is the ‘primary task’ of a diplomat to develop a broad perspective about the situation in a country. He alluded to Tunisian diplomats posted in the United States, stating that they do the same thing, entrusted to machinate the protocols of democracy. He referred to these actions as the ‘bread and butter’ of diplomacy and stated that such interactions ‘should not be subject to persecution of any sort.’
The Tunisian foreign ministry, on the other hand, has responded to criticism from the African Union (AU). The African Union Commission has earlier warned the government to refrain from ‘racialised hate speech that could bring people to harm.’ The foreign ministry stated that the AU has misunderstood the government’s position and that it levels a ‘baseless accusation.’ Saied has also denied that he is racist, responding to criticism from rights groups.
As pressure mounts on President Kais Saied, US intervention can have a defining role in shaping the situation for the best. Acknowledge the efforts undertaken by the US embassy to defend human rights in the Republic of Tunisia.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ambassador Hood,
The United States Department of State has expressed alarm about the ‘escalating pattern of arrests against perceived critics of the government.’ The DOS spokesperson was referring to reported criminal charges against key individuals who held meetings with US embassy staff. The DOS emphasized that such interactions are the ‘bread and butter’ of diplomacy and that these ‘should not be subject to persecution of any sort.’
We sincerely hope that the situation in the birthplace of Arab Spring turns out for the best and we acknowledge this timely intervention by the US government to defend the universal values of human rights and free speech not only in Tunisia but ‘anywhere and everywhere around the world.’
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: scossargilbert
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