On 18 February 2025, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urged the Tunisian authorities to cease all forms of persecution against political opponents and to respect the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, while several UN experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of sub-Saharan migrants.
Since dissolving parliament in March 2022, the Tunisian authorities have detained political opponents on politically motivated charges, with reports of ill-treatment, restricted access to legal representation, and denial of proper medical care. Civil society groups and representatives of the legal profession have also been directly targeted and arrested.
In this context, the Tunisian government has intensified its crackdown on migrants. Investigations have uncovered widespread arbitrary arrests—both on land and at sea—followed by collective expulsions to desert regions, where migrants endure extreme physical and psychological violence, with a significant number left to die in desperate conditions.
Join us for a critical discussion on Tunisia’s human rights crisis and the urgent need for accountability. This event will bring together representatives of detainees’ families, legal experts, and human rights researchers to shed light on these pressing issues and explore pathways towards justice.
