WFDY Statement - Tunisia

Several activists of the General Union of the Tunisian Students were suspended from their studies earlier in February because of their struggles in the students unions for better condition of education and student democratic rights. Later on, after a general strike in the universities, many students were expelled out of their studies and 3 of them went into jail under convictions of disturbing the security and causing violence in the universities. Now, a total of 30 students are under threat of persecution. As an action of protest, many of the members entered in an open hunger strike till the release of their companions.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) salutes the student movement in Tunisia, especially those who sacrificed their personal studies and insisted on the rights of young people in proper education and under proper conditions.

WFDY also condemns the policies of fear spread by the Tunisian government in order to prevent students from organizing and prohibit the union movement of the students.

WFDY calls on all of its members to show solidarity with the student movement in Tunisia and try to organize activities and statements in solidarity with the persecuted and expelled students.

WFDY reasserts its position in the right of youth, including students to organize in union and organizations in order to struggle for the right of public education for all the young people, and with the democratic rights of organization and political freedoms of the youth in Tunisia and worldwide.

We will follow up with concrete solidarity actions in the upcoming weeks as one more moment of common struggle and international solidarity.