On Values and Symbols in Torture Procedures Used on Political Prisoners in Tunisian Prisons: A Sociological Reading of Victi

Abstract

This paper conducts a sociological analysis of the testimonies of a number of Tunisian political prisoners jailed and tortured by the former authoritarian regime prior to its ouster by the Tunisian revolution. This research distances itself from legal and human rights approaches by analyzing the mechanisms and methods of torture that prisoners underwent during their arrest and imprisonment. It demonstrates that methods of torture cannot be separated from the shared values, norms, and cultural symbols of the torturer and the victim. The study also attempts to clarify how processes of torture are painful and not only harm the body, but also impact the social references, beliefs and values that compose a victim’s identity, as well as their affiliations, self-representations, and their place in society. The paper will first examine theories of torture and identity. It will go on to present data from field study, which will be examined under three main themes: torture cells and the torturer and his tools, the torture of ‘The Other’ and its ramifications in the battle of symbols and values, and the noblest of victims: the impact of torture on political prisoners, inside and outside the prison.