We, the undersigned, call for the immediate release of Dr Moncef Kartas, who has been unlawfully detained by the Tunisian authorities since 26 March 2019. As a member of the panel of experts of the United Nations security council committee established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011) concerning Libya, Dr Kartas enjoys immunity under the UN convention on the privileges and immunities (1946). This includes immunity from arrest or detention. The UN secretary-general has confirmed in multiple notes verbales to the Tunisian authorities that at the time of his detention, Dr Kartas was performing his official mission. The detention of Dr Kartas by the Tunisian authorities is, therefore, a serious violation of Tunisia’s international obligations. Further, his detention is a direct impediment to the work of the committee, having occurred at the same time that the panel of experts is preparing its interim report.

Dr Kartas, a dual national of both Germany and Tunisia, is being investigated for the premeditated betrayal of secrets concerning Tunisian national security to foreign states or their associates. A conviction for such crimes could lead to the death penalty. Only the UN secretary general has the right to waive the immunity for experts such as Dr Kartas. Tunisia, a signatory to the convention since 1957, has not presented any request for or evidence justifying a waiver of his immunity. No evidence has been presented for the alleged cooperation of Dr Kartas with foreign states or their associates in the betrayal of secrets pertaining to Tunisian national security. The detention of Dr Kartas on spurious grounds, and in violation of his immunity, raises serious questions over the state of the rule of law in Tunisia.

Dr Kartas enjoys the highest reputation within the research community and among international and non-governmental organisations. We, the undersigned, personally know and value Dr Kartas as a committed researcher and practitioner with impeccable ethical and professional standards. Dr Kartas has consistently demonstrated his commitment to promoting the rule of law and security, particularly in North Africa and in Tunisia. Since 2016, Dr Kartas has investigated breaches of the UN-imposed embargo on arms to Libya for the UN panel of experts. Through this work, Dr Kartas seeks to contribute to peace and security in Libya, which in turn directly serves the interests of Tunisia’s national security. Dr Kartas has worked and published widely on issues of conflict transformation and armed violence reduction for many years. He led a multi-year project focused on understanding and mitigating armed violence in north Africa for Small Arms Survey, a Swiss non-governmental organisation, during which he regularly briefed senior officials in the Tunisian defence, interior and foreign ministries. He has also regularly provided training and advice to Tunisian and Libyan security officials on strategy and policy development.

We express full solidarity with Dr Kartas and his family. We reiterate that Dr Kartas is being illegally detained and call upon the United Nations secretary general, the member states of the security council Libya sanctions committee, and, in particular, the German government, to condemn the actions of the Tunisian government and to undertake all efforts to secure his immediate release. We call upon the government of Tunisia to respect the immunity afforded to Dr Kartas under international law and to release him immediately.

Naji Abou Khalil, Consultant, Former member of the UN panel of experts on Libya

Sharhabeel Al Zaeem, Senior Partner, Al Zaeem & Associates Attorneys at Law

Omar Al-Shahery, Senior Cyber Intelligence Analyst, National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA)

Anna Alvazzi del Frate, Director of Programmes, Small Arms Survey

Rita Amthor-Kartas, Wife of Moncef Kartas

Nils Anders, Chief Analyst on Terrorism, UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

Scott R. Anderson, Fellow, The Brookings Institution

Ali Arbia, Researcher, Small Arms Survey

David C Atwood, Consultant, Small Arms Survey

Aslı Ü Bâli, Professor of Law, University of California Los Angeles

Christelle Balustre-d’Erneville, Translator

Souhail Belhadj, Researcher, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Eric Berman, Director, Small Arms Survey

Thomas Biersteker, Professor of International Security, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Linda Bishai, Director of Research, Evaluation & Learning, American Bar Association

Ricardo Bocco, Professor, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Marina Caparini, Senior Researcher and Director, Governance and Society Programme, SIPRI

Jovana Carapic, Researcher, Small Arms Survey

Benoit Challand, Associate Professor, Sociology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Florence

Houssem Cheikhrouhou, Tunis

Amely Cheminel, Student

James Cohen, Executive Director, Transparency International Canada

Barbara Corcoran, Conference and Events, Yale Law School

Joshua Craze, Researcher, Small Arms Survey

Omar Dajani, Professor of Law, McGeorge School of Law

Savannah de Tessières, Former Coordinator of the UN Panel of Experts on Libya

Renee DeMatteo, Senior Conference and Events Manager, Yale Law School

Olivia Denonville, Publications Coordinator, Small Arms Survey

Emilia Dungel, Communications Coordinator, Small Arms Survey

Issandr El Amrani, Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, Open Society Foundations

Hasnaa El Jamali, Project Associate, Small Arms Survey

Owen Fiss, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Law, Yale Law School

Mary Fitzgerald, Libya Researcher

Nicolas Florquin, Research Coordinator, Small Arms Survey

Steve Fry and Sihem Kortas, Founder & Managing Partner, Essential Jet Solutions

Vincent Geisser, Professor, Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence

Claudio Gramizzi, Head of Regional Operations West Africa, Conflict Armament Research

Sharan Grewal, Postdoctoral Fellow, The Brookings Institution

Janis Grzybowski, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Université Catholique de Lille

Xavier Guignard, Lecturer, Sciences Po Paris

Kathrin Hansen, Friend

Wibke Hansen, Head of Analysis, Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Berlin

Farrah Hawana, Lecturer in International Politics & Security, Aberystwyth University, UK

Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, University of Princeton

Bradley Hayes, Sterling Professor of Law, Yale Law School

Matt Herbert, Senior Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Holger Hoffmann and Family, Friends

Stephanie C Hofmann, Professor of Political Science, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Aiko Holvikivi, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Zuzana Hudáková, Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for International Studies, Sciences Po Paris

Jonas Hult, Human Rights Consultant

Matt Johnson, Editor, Small Arms Survey

Oliver Jütersonke, Head of Research, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Ben King, Independent Consultant

Adel Kartas, Brother of Moncef

Masayo Kondo Rossier, Lead, Humanitarian-Development Nexus, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Kazushige Kobayashi, Post-doctoral Researcher, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Keith Krause, Professor, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Anthony Kronman, Sterling Professor of Law, Yale Law School

Wolfram Lacher, Senior Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

William Lawrence, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University

Jonah Leff, Director of Operations, Conflict Armament Research

Darryl Li, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Chicago

Chiara Loschi, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Vienna

Chibli Mallat, Professor of Law, University of Utah

Tamer Mallat, Lawyer, New York

Fiona Mangan, Independent Consultant

Andrew F. March, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Nancy McDonald, Senior Technical Specialist, Global Communities

Justine McGowan, Advisor, CARE

Leanne McKay, Independent Consultant

Meriam Meddeb, former colleague and friend

Mark Micalleff, Senior Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Alexander Ochs, Founder & Director, SD Strategies

Soli Ozel, Visiting Fellow, Yale Law School

Mathieu Pellerin, Research Associate, Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri)

Duncan Pickard, Associate, Debevoise & Plimpton

Gisbert Pöppler, Friend

Mihaela Racovita, Lisbon, Portugal

Luca Raineri, Research Fellow, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa

Aziz Rana, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School

Sandra Reimann, Head of Finance & Administration, TRIAL International

Mara Redlich Revkin, Robina Foundation Fellow, Yale Law School

Audrey Reeves, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Virginia Tech, USA

Tuesday Reitano, Deputy Director, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Christelle Rigual, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Dennis Rodgers, Research Professor, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Kristof Rüdt von Collenberg, Friend

Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Oxford

Gabriella Sanchez, Florence, Italy

Wael Sawah, Editor-in-Chief, The Syrian Observer

Habib Sayah, Director, Complexity

Yezid Sayigh, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Rahul Schwenk, Founder & Partner, good friends Public Affairs

Mark Shaw, Director, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Steven Spittaels, Former Coordinator of the UN Panel of Experts on Libya

Francesco Strazzari, Associate Professor, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa

Samir SM Sumaida’ie, Former Interior Minister of Iraq, former Iraqi Ambassador to the US

Nedal Swehli, Executive Director, Diwan

Jérôme Tubiana, Researcher, Paris

Bibi van Ginkel, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute/International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague

Judith Vorrath, Senior Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Frederic Wehrey, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Patrick Weil, Directeur de recherche, Université de Paris 1, CNRS

Achim Wenmann, Senior Researcher, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva

Isabelle Werenfels, Senior Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Thorsten Wetzling, Head of Research, Stiftung Neue Verantwortung