Tunisia intensifies prosecution on human rights activists

Human Rights Watch has denounced the continuing unfair Tunisian authorities’ prosecution of political opponents and human rights activists to muzzle them, as reported by North Africa Post on July 7th. 

Tunisian courts have sentenced eight human rights defenders to prison terms and heavy fines for charges connected to their human rights work, including two prominent women who have been handed harsh sentences, said HRW in a recent statement.

The Human Rights NGO cites the case of Sihem Bensedrine, who served as the former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a joint fine with several others of roughly $600 million. Saadia Mosbah, president of the antiracism association Mnemty, was handed eight years in prison and a fine of approximately $41,000. Five other Mnemty members have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to three years. 

“The harsh prison sentences and astronomical fines are another devastating blow to human rights defenders and all those fighting to preserve what remains of Tunisia’s civic space,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy MENA director at Human Rights Watch.

The most recent convictions come following a drastic closure of civic space and increasing attacks on civil society groups and members in Tunisia, said HRW, while calling authorities to cancel the convictions, free the detained individuals, and drop abusive prosecutions against human rights defenders. 

Bensedrine appeared before the court on June 25th in two separate cases. Her conviction follows her work from 2014 through 2018 as the head of the Truth and Dignity Commission, which worked to uncover accountability for the decades of human rights abuses the country has faced. Human Rights Watch said in a statement that Bensedrine’s sentencing “reflects the cruelty of President Kais Saied’s government, which has sought to strangle human rights and social justice in Tunisia.”

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended that Tunisia review its legislative framework to ensure space for civil society organizations, including those working with asylum seekers, refugees, ethnic minority groups and migrants, in a 2025 report. 

HRW called on Tunisia’s international partners including the EU to press the Tunisian government to end the continuous persecution of human rights defenders and protect civic space.

North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org.