the Government to allow the Commission a second term in order to bring its work to asatisfactory conclusion. The Government replied that the transitional justice process wouldcontinue through the work of the specialized criminal chambers and the fund for the dignityand rehabilitation of victims of the dictatorship, both set up under Organic Law No. 53.2In2020, the Human Rights Committee also noted the insufficient duration of the Commission’smandate.31 A/HRC/24/42/Add.1.2 See communication TUN 1/2018 and the State response thereto. Available athttps://spcommreports.ohchr.org/Tmsearch/TMDocuments.3 CCPR/C/TUN/CO/6, para. 11.9. During its tenure, the Truth and Dignity Commission received 62,720 claims ofhuman rights violations. A total of 16,105 claims related to violations of economic, socialand cultural rights; 38,488 related to violations of civil and political rights, including 14,984grave violations of human rights. Mainly for lack of time and resources, only 205 of thoseclaims were processed and transferred to the 13 specialized criminal chambers. A search andinvestigation manual was adopted in 2016. The Commission also received 13,586 requestsfor urgent interventions and issued 537 intervention decisions benefiting victims. TheCommission faced continuous procedural and political obstacles, suggesting a weak politicalwill to allow it to deal thoroughly with the country’s past. It was reported that the Ministryof the Interior had been reluctant to cooperate with the mechanism and share key informationin its custody. The Commission concluded public hearings of victims and witnesses in 2016and 2017, which are reflected in the Commission’s final report, submitted in 2019. OrganicLaw No. 53 required the adoption of an action plan for the implementation of theCommission’s recommendations, within one year of their publication, and the establishmentof an ad hoc parliamentary committee to monitor the action plan. Unfortunately, both actionsare pending.10. Article 8 of the same Organic Law provides for the creation of the specialized criminalchambers, with a mandate to adjudicate cases related to gross violations of human rightscommitted between 1 July 1955 and the issuance of the Organic Law that are referred to itby the Truth and Dignity Commission. The chambers were formally established throughDecree No. 2887 of 8 August 2014 and operate within the courts of first instance at the 13Courts of Appeal across the country. Hearings have been held in all 13 chambers since May2018. The chambers issued 69 indictments and brought charges against 1,426 suspectedperpetrators, in connection with 1,220 victims. A total of 131 files were referred withoutindictments, as the Commission could not complete the respective investigations.11. The trials held by the chambers represent a step in the right direction for justice to bedelivered eventually for at least some of the victims of past human rights violations and theirfamilies. However, the Special Rapporteur is concerned that the work of the chambers is stillbeing hampered by procedural and legal obstacles that compromise the ability of thechambers to adjudicate on cases promptly and efficiently. Such obstacles include: (a) theannual rotation of magistrates, sometimes midway through the adjudication of a case, and thedouble workload they often face as they also serve as judges for regular jurisdictions; (b) theinsufficiency of technical support and training of staff; and (c) the non-execution by thepolice of subpoenas and other court orders issued by the chambers.4 The Special Rapporteur
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