VZCZCXRO0840
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTU #0381 1081504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171504Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4790
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS TUNIS 000381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS AND HOPKINS), DRL (KLARMAN) AND 
INR (SWEET) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PHUM PGOV TS
SUBJECT: 19 CONVICTED OF SUPPORT FOR "SOLIMAN" TERRORISTS, 
WHO REPORT MISTREATMENT 
 
REF: TUNIS 168 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
¶1. (SBU) On April 11, the Tunis Court of First Instance 
convicted 18 individuals of being members of a terrorist cell 
from the central Tunisian town of Sidi Bou Zid, which 
allegedly supported those involved in the December 
2006/January 2007 terrorist incidents (reftel).  The 
defendants, who are mostly in their twenties, received 
sentences from one to eight years, in addition to five years 
administrative control after their release (names, DOBs and 
sentences below), under Tunisia's 2003 terrorism law. 
Defense lawyer Samir Ben Amor told PolOff on April 16 that 
many of the defendants knew those involved in the Soliman 
incidents, several of whom were also residents of Sidi Bou 
Zid.  While suspects in both cases were arrested between 
December 2006 and January 2007, the Sidi Bou Zid cell 
defendants were not part of the group physically involved 
with the Soliman incidents. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ben Amor said among the charges were possession of 
weapons (which he characterized as agricultural instruments) 
and offering of moral support to the Soliman group.  He added 
that Boukhari was allegedly a "Salafi sheikh" who had issued 
a fatwa in support of the Soliman terrorist plot, but that he 
was only found guilty of failing to inform the police of 
others' terrorist activities.  All of the defendants denied 
their involvement and said they had been tortured by security 
forces after their arrest.  Ben Amor, who represents five of 
the defendants, has already filed appeals to the verdicts. 
Human rights groups report that hundreds of other Tunisians 
arrested since 2006 face terrorism-related charges, and the 
GOT continues to bring small groups of individuals to trial. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Separately, the International Association for the 
Support of Political Prisoners (AISPP) reported that three of 
those convicted of involvement in the original Soliman case 
are being held in solitary confinement (Saber Rakoubi, Imad 
Ben Amer, and Ali Arfaoui) at Mornaguia prison.  The AISPP 
also said that the families of others convicted in this case 
are concerned about the physical and mental well-being of 
their relatives (Jamaleddine Mellakh and Imad Ben Amer) who 
are imprisoned at Mornaguia or Borj El Amri prisons.  Mellakh 
is reportedly prevented from having any contact with the 
outside world, including access to newspapers and receiving 
family visits, by Borj El Amri prison officials. 
 
¶4. (U) The following individuals were convicted of terrorism 
related charges (name, DOB, sentence): 
 
Abdeljelil Aliaoui, 6/27/84, eight years 
Hafedh Samoudi, 5/17/83, eight years 
Sami Kdiri, 3/2/76, eight years 
Mokhtar Akkouri, 10/23/85, eight years 
Nejmeddine Bargougui, 3/6/79, eight years 
Ali Omri, 2/9/83, eight years 
Ramzi Brini, 1/30/85, six years 
Ghassen Siliane, 7/17/87, six years 
Mohammed Ali Horchani, 5/4/71, six years 
Ali Lafi, 6/3/77, four years 
Habib Hafsi, 1/12/84, four years 
Ramzi Romdhani, 4/18/77, four years 
Khatib Boukhari, 8/30/55, three years 
Laid Jaouadi, 11/14/75, one year 
Hassib Chebbi, 6/6/84, one year 
Gammoudi Hmed, 8/16/81, one year 
Mourad Saadi, 7/15/86, one year 
Abdessalam Bali, 6/9/84, one year 
 
Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm 
GODEC