Samir Dilou is a

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

n politician. He served as the Minister of

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

, transitional justice and government spokesperson under Prime Minister

Hamadi Jebali Hamadi Jebali ( ar, حمادي الجبالي, '; born 12 January 1949) is a Tunisian engineer, Muslim politician and journalist who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from December 2011 to March 2013. He was the Secretary-General of the Ennahda Mov ...

.CIA World Leaders
/ref>Ahmed Lachheb
Samir Dilou
, ''Tunisia Live'', 15 August 2011Dan Littauer
Tunisia rejects UNHRC recommendation to decriminalise gay sex
''

Pink News ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in 2005. It closely follows political progress on LGBT rights aro ...

'', 6 June 2012

Biography

Early life

Samir Dilou was born in

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

in 1966. He graduated from the

University of Sousse The University of Sousse ( ar, جامعة سوسة) is a public university in Sousse, Tunisia. History The University of Sousse was created in 2004 from a division of the University of the Center, which had been created in 1991 from the Universi ...

in 1991. He was sentenced to ten years in prison as a result of his political involvement with the

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

Union Générale des Etudiants de Tunisie Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

(UGET).

Career

He is a lawyer and a member of the Executive Committee of the

Ennahda Movement The Ennahda Movement ( ar, حركة النهضة, Ḥarakatu n-Nahḍah; french: link=no, Mouvement Ennahdha), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply known as Ennahda, is a self-defined Islamic democratic political party in Tunisia. Fou ...

. He is one of the founders of the International Organization to Defend Political Prisoners and a member of Truth and Work Organization in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. On 20 December 2011, he joined the

Jebali Cabinet The first cabinet of Tunisian Head of Government Hamadi Jebali was presented on 20 December 2011. Jebali has been appointed by interim President Moncef Marzouki, who had been elected by the National Constituent Assembly, a body constituted to ...

as Minister of Human Rights and Transitional Justice and Spokesperson of the Government.

Minister

Some opposition sources claim that in February 2012, he criticised

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...

.Samir Dilou se livre à un lynchage frénétique des journalistes
''Business News'', 20 February 2012 His opponents claim that he later added that

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

and strikes were a privilege, not a right.Sana Ajmi
Government Spokesman Samir Dilou Addresses State of Tunisia in Transition
, ''Tunisia Live'', 8 January 2012 He also decided to remove the police from the campus of

Manouba University Manouba University is a public university in Manouba, Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capita ...

Manouba Manouba ( ar, منوبة ') is a city in north-eastern Tunisia, and is part the metropolitan area of Tunis, also called "Grand Tunis". It is located at the west of Tunis city center at around . It is the capital city of Manouba Governorate. Mano ...

, where students have been demonstrating to wear the niquab. His opponents maintain also that in the same month, he said on Samir El-Wafi's program on national television that

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

was not a human rights issue, but a condition in need of medical treatment.Dan Littauer
Tunisian human rights minister: No free speech for gays
''Pink News'', 6 February 2012Tunisian official's rhetoric undermines human rights
Amnesty International, 24 February 2012

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

condemned this statement. In June 2012, he rejected the

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...

's recommendation to decriminalize same-sex intercourse, arguing it was a Western concept at odds with Islam, Tunisian culture and traditions. Critics have argued the anti-gay legislation was passed under

French Tunisia The French protectorate of Tunisia (french: Protectorat français de Tunisie; ar, الحماية الفرنسية في تونس '), commonly referred to as simply French Tunisia, was established in 1881, during the French colonial Empire era, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dilou, Samir 1966 births Living people People from Tunis Tunisian Muslims 20th-century Tunisian lawyers Government ministers of Tunisia Ennahda politicians University of Sousse alumni Members of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia Members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People 21st-century Tunisian lawyers

Biography

Early life

Career

Minister

See also

References