Former prisoners Ayman Gharib and Anis el-Krifi were arrested early in the morning of 19 July, at their homes in the town of Menzel Bourguiba, in the north of Tunisia. Their families have not heard from them and do not know where they are or why they were arrested. Their homes were among many that the security forces broke into in the early hours of 19 July. All testimonies collected by Amnesty international show a similar pattern. According to reports, large numbers of security officers with their faces covered stormed a number of houses. Witnesses told Amnesty International that they proceeded to beat the members of the family in the houses, in the dark and shooting in the air, before turning on the light and asking for the person they had come in search of and arresting him if he was there. Several people were arrested during these raids and later released. However, Ayman Gharib and Anis el Krifi were among those not released. Ayman Gharib's mother said the security officers came in fully armed claiming they were searching for weapons. They did not find any but insisted on taking Ayman Gharib with them, and beat his mother on the arm when she tried to stop them. Anis el-Krifi was arrested with three of his brothers, one of them aged only 12. The three brothers were later released. Anis el-Krifi's brother Walid el-Krifi, said security officers had continued to beat them and swear at them until they reached el-Gourjani police station. Both Ayman Gharib and Anis el-Krifi had spent several years in prison sentenced under the controversial 2003 anti-terrorism law,. Ayman Gharib had been released earlier this year while Anis was released in 2008. Neither man's family has heard from him since, and they have received no information when they have inquired with prison authorities. Walid Boujbali and Haitham el-Mejri, two men who have not been in prison before, were arrested in a similar manner and have also not been released. Amnesty
