OCTT calls for healthcare policy in prisons to comply with international standards

Tunis: The Organisation Against Torture in Tunisia (French: OCTT) Tuesday said there is need to ensure the compliance of healthcare policy in Tunisian prisons with international standards. The situation in El Mornaguia prison is "the best" compared to other prisons in inland regions that are facing sewage water disposal issues, such as el Kef Prison, OCTT Secretary General Mondher Cherni said at a press conference held at the seat of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (French: SNJT) in Tunis to present a report on right to health in prisons. The OCTT receives complaints from families of prisoners who believe the latter had contracted serious infections (bacterial diseases) or died due to poor hygiene conditions and the lack of necessary care, Cherni added. The Administrative Court issued on December 29, 2023, a first instance ruling- a compensation order for a Tunisian family whose son died in prison, Cherni said. The OCTT has not been yet authorised to visit prisons despite correspondence to the Justice Ministry, the SG said. He also underlined the importance of healthcare in prisons, given that the right to health is one of the human rights guaranteed by the Tunisian Constitution and international conventions. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse