Rania Amdouni
27 years old.
LGBT rights activist.
Theatre and film actress.
I was sentenced to six months in prison
of which I was detained for 19 days [in Tunisia].
I was released upon appeal
with a fine of 216 Dinars.
What happened in January 2021
some of the [Tunisian] former parliamentarians published my photos
and changed the public opinion against me
and also targeted many other activists through [social media] posts
that incited violence and discrimination.
The threats began on Facebook
and were primarily through it.
The majority of the threats were acts of bullying
for the way I looked
and my gender identity.
Facebook did not remove even one of the posts that I reported.
I spent 3 or 4 months away from my house
in fear of online threats
and the real ones in the streets and where I lived.
I went to the police station to file a complaint
because I was accosted in the street by a police officer with verbal harassment.
I told him I will complain to the police and he said: “You can’t do anything about it.”
The case soon changed against me.
I was the victim and became the perpetrator.
The series of attacks that lasted for two years
affected my mental health to a great extent.
I attempted suicide 3 times in 2 years
one of which put me in a coma for 48 hours.
I had to leave Tunisia.
Security forces should be held accountable for targeting LGBT people
online and offline.
I miss everything
I miss my lover
I miss her so much.
I miss my companions who were with me constantly
through thick and thin
in all my victories and success.
It is the social media platforms' responsibility
to protect people who are under digital attacks and smear campaigns
and people who are being pressured by the regime and its police force.
I urge Facebook and other social media platforms
to look into these issues with utmost seriousness
and to understand that matters like these could
ruin people’s lives entirely.