Tunisia - April 2025

On 19 April, the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced 37 individuals, including opposition figures, activists, lawyers, and businesspeople, to prison terms ranging from 13 to 66 years. They were convicted on charges of ‘conspiracy against state security’ and ‘belonging to a terrorist group.’ Authorities allege that following organised opposition actions after the 2021 declaration of a state of emergency they had plotted to overthrow the government. Among those convicted were prominent members of the National Salvation Front and the Ennahdha party. The mass trial, which began on 4 March, was according to rights groups marred by procedural irregularities, including the denial of court appearances for some defendants and the exclusion of public and diplomatic observers. Many of the accused also faced extended periods of pretrial detention, while others were tried in absentia. Human rights organizations have condemned the proceedings as a violation of due process and described the trial as a means to suppress political dissent through the judicial system. 

Sources: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch