“the moment to abolish the death penalty in Tunisia has not arrived

“the moment to abolish the death penalty in Tunisia has not arrived yet, despite no executions having taken place in the country since 1991,” the Tunisian Minister for Justice and Human Rights, Bechir Tekkari, said during a debate with members of parliament.
The minister explained that “a minority in Tunisia is asking for the abolition of the death penalty, while the majority believe that it should be maintained."
According to the minister, the large amount of discussion and writing on this issue, on many occasions, is an indication of the freedom of thought and of the press in the country.
Various organisations for human rights and Tunisian parties have been asking for the abolition of the death penalty for months. They are proposing severe jail sentences as a substitute. Among these groups is the Social Liberal Party, who announced their position on the issue on February 13, 2007, with a statement.
Furthermore, journalists have recently announced their intention to support the appeal for the definitive abolition of capital punishment, in line with the "supreme values that derive from civil patronage of the country and with its role of leading modernity in many sectors."