Mr. Speaker, on March 24 last, in Tunisia, Dr. Marzouki was arrested and jailed after declaring that he would run for president.
His arrest can only be explained by the fact that he had denounced certain undemocratic electoral rules and given interviews to western newspapers.
Dr. Marzouki, who is a former president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, is well known in Quebec for his many conferences and publications on human rights and democratic development. It is therefore extremely shocking to learn that his fundamental freedoms have been violated.
Consequently, the Bloc Quebecois demands that the federal government put immediate pressure on the Tunisian government to free Dr. Marzouki.