UN Expert Detained for Months After Being Targeted by Rape Threats, Abandoned by UN Leadership
Tunis - In a shocking turn of events, a United Nations expert was detained for months after being targeted by rape threats and abandoned by his own leadership. The expert, Kartas, was arrested in Tunis while working on sanctions-related issues.
The Ordeal Begins
According to sources close to the matter, Kartas was threatened with rape by a senior security official, but chose not to inform UN headquarters due to concerns that he would be pulled off the mission. He also declined to report an attack by armed militia forces him and three other panelists to flee for several hours.
Detention and Charges
Kartas’ ordeal began when he was led away by Tunisian security officials while his friend and business partner, who had come to pick him up, witnessed the arrest and alerted the UN. The experts’ belongings were then searched, and sensitive photographs showing smuggled Libyan weapons held inside a Tunisian military installation were found on his hard drive.
UN Intervention
The UN ultimately backed Kartas’ contention that the information was critical for his work as a sanctions expert, but not before he was subjected to weeks of detention as the Tunisians prepared an extensive written dossier against him. The German government took an interest in securing Kartas’ release and requested his immediate release from the UN sanctions committee.
Release and Aftermath
However, it wasn’t until May 13 that the UN informed the sanctions committee that they had completed a review of the charges and requested Kartas’ immediate release. Days later, he was told he could leave, but Tunisian authorities have not closed his case, leaving him to fear that it could be reopened at any time.
Kartas’ Experience
The episode has left Kartas feeling disillusioned with his work at the UN, saying that he is still struggling to come to terms with the events that unfolded. “Every time I think about it, I get angry,” he said in an interview. “You have this notion with the American military of no one left behind. I just can’t imagine that in such a situation, where the breach of immunity was so clear, that Guterres can stand there in front of these guys and have little more than a diplomatic chitchat about my case rather than being totally assertive about the fact that he is leaving Tunis with me in the plane.”
UN Response
The UN spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said that Secretary-General Guterres had personally raised Kartas’ well-being during his visit to Tunisia, but failed to secure his release. The UN’s top lawyer sent four formal diplomatic notes to the Tunisian government outlining their legal position on the matter.
Questions Raised
Kartas’ case has sparked questions about the effectiveness of UN leadership and their ability to protect their own staff in high-risk areas.
Key Points
- Kartas was detained for months after being targeted by rape threats and abandoned by his own leadership.
- The expert was arrested in Tunis while working on sanctions-related issues.
- Kartas chose not to inform UN headquarters due to concerns that he would be pulled off the mission.
- The German government took an interest in securing Kartas’ release and requested his immediate release from the UN sanctions committee.
- Kartas has expressed disillusionment with his work at the UN, saying that he is still struggling to come to terms with the events that unfolded.