Tunisia releases noted political prisoners

TUNIS, Tunisia, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali has approved the release of 21 members of the Islamist movement an-Nahdha, Human Rights Watch says.

The advocacy group said in a news release Thursday that while the release of the prominent political prisoners was a positive move by Ali's government, the president should free all political prisoners with a non-violent past.

"Tunisia's release of the political prisoners is good news," Sarah Leah Whitson, the advocacy group's Middle East and North Africa director, said of Wednesday's prisoner release. "But a truly historic change would be general amnesty for people convicted for their non-violent political beliefs and activities, and an end to the harassment of former political prisoners."

The release of the remaining members of the banned movement was coupled with the release of 23 other individuals imprisoned for protest efforts, Tunisian authorities said.

Those additional prisoners had all been convicted for taking part in 2008 protests about mining region conditions in the Gafsa Governorate.