BRIEFING NOTES: Tunisia

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Thameen Al-Kheetan
Location: Geneva
Date: 18 February 2025
Subject: Tunisia crackdown

The Tunisian authorities must bring an end to the pattern of arrests, arbitrary detentions and imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists and politicians.

Many of them are being held in pre-trial detention, facing broad and vague accusations apparently following the exercise of their rights and freedoms. This raises concerns with respect to violations of their right to freedom of expression, as well as fair trial and due process rights.

Over 40 individuals, including opponents from various political affiliations, are scheduled to stand trial at the beginning of March before the Court of First Instance in Tunis. They are part of a group accused of “conspiracy against the State”, as well as terrorism-related charges. At least seven of them have been in pre-trial detention since February 2023. A number, who are out of the country, will be tried in absentia.

And as we speak, Abderrazak Krimi, project director of the Tunisian Refugee Council, enters his third week on hunger strike in detention. He was arrested in May last year along with the NGO’s head, Mustapha Djemali. Both are accused of illegally sheltering sub-Saharan migrants.

Abir Moussi, lawyer and president of the Free Destourian Party, who has been detained since October 2023, has been on hunger strike for a week. She is facing charges in five cases, including two related to freedom of expression.

Lawyer Sonia Dahmani was arrested for statements she made on a national radio about racism and the situation of sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia. After she was initially sentenced to one year in prison, the Court of Appeal in January reduced her sentence to six months.

Earlier this month, the Court of First Instance handed down prison sentences ranging from five to 54 years to 41 individuals in what is known as the “Instalingo” case. The charges included “plotting conspiracy” against State security and committing offences against the country’s President, in a trial marred by alleged violations of fair trial and due process. Among those convicted are politicians, journalists and bloggers.

Meanwhile, former Truth and Dignity Commission President Sihem Bensedrine, who is 75 years old, remains in prison, awaiting trial. Last month, the authorities extended her detention for four more months. She was taken to hospital recently after being on hunger strike for two weeks.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calls on the Tunisian authorities to cease all forms of persecution of political opponents, and to respect the rights to freedom of opinion and expression. He also appeals for the immediate release, on compassionate grounds, of those who are of an advanced age and those who suffer from health problems.

We also urge Tunisia to review its criminal legislation and ensure it is in line with international human rights law norms and standards. All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released. Those charged with offences must be guaranteed fair trial and due process.

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