Ridha Bel Hadj Ibrahim
Tunisian authorities arrested 8 youths in the city of Zarzis in the South of Tunisia . They were accused of terrorism. The only evidence was a group of files downloaded from the internet. Authorities accused the 8 Tunisians of having formed a terrorist group to terrorise the public, holding meetings without a license, theft, and preparation of explosives. On 16 April 2004 , the court sentenced 6 of the youth to 19 years of imprisonment. A seventh defendant was sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment as he was accused of being the leader of the group, while the eighth defendant, who was under age, was sentenced to 25 months imprisonment. Following appeals the sentences were reduce.A presidential pardon on 27 February 2006 resulted in the release of six of the youth of Zarzis. However, they continue to face harassment. (The Initiative For an Open Arab Internet)
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