Tunisia: ICITAP Continues to Bolster Security at Counterterrorism Courts in Tunis

On July 29, ICITAP concluded the final Court Security Assessment for the Foreign Terrorist Fighter (FTF) Court Security Project in Tunis. During this visit, the ICITAP senior law enforcement advisors (SLEAs) assessed the procedures and updated conditions of the three primary counterterrorism courts in Tunis, Tunisia. These courts include the Court of First Instance (CoFI), Court of Appeals (CoA) and the Judicial Pole (JP). This project began with an initial assessment in December 2018, and during this period, ICITAP has been collaborating with the United Nations Office for Project Services in Tunisia (UNOPS) to carry out the objectives of the project. UNOPS was tasked with completing facility and construction upgrades at each of the courts. On the final day of the assessment, ICITAP donated five hand-held security metal detector wands to the Court Security Unit. In total, ICITAP has donated 20 hand-held metal detectors to the Court Security Unit. Following the donations, the SLEAs held a training for four Court Security Officers on how to properly use the metal detector wands. These four officers have been tasked by the Head of the Court Security Unit to teach their fellow officers.  The wands are planned to be used at the initial screening stations of the jail cells and outside of the courts during counterterrorism related trials. In Tunisia, ICITAP works with the support of the Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism.