On 3 March 2025, during the 58th Human Rights Council, Fundacion Vida hosted a side event introduced by Thierry Valle, President of CAP Freedom of Conscience, on Unprecedented Human Rights Violations in Tunisia: The Persecution of Political Opponents and the Targeting of Sub-Saharan Migrants.[1] This side event took place following a strong statement issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on 18 February 2025 calling the Tunisian authorities to “bring an end to the pattern of arrests, arbitrary detentions and imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists and politicians”, the statement also highlighted that members of civil society are often accused of illegally sheltering Sub-Saharan migrants, with individuals denouncing racism and the situation of migrants being arrested.[2] The side event was attended by the delegations of the European Union, Antigua, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Austria.
Since Kaïs Saïed suspended and dissolved the parliament in July 2021, repression has been escalating in Tunisia. Political opponents are being arbitrarily detained on abusive charges, and Sub-Saharan migrants are increasingly targeted by the authorities. These crises are closely linked, reflecting a broader political and societal shift towards authoritarianism under Kais Saïed, characterised by breaches of the rule of law and the spread of xenophobic rhetoric.
Rodney Dixon KC, Lead Counsel representing the families of detainees, described a mass crackdown on the democratic opposition movement against Kais Saied’s regime. He emphasised, however, that legal avenues remain available. A complaint has been filed before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights concerning the detention, prosecution, and maltreatment of opposition members and a prominent judge.[3] Dixon KC explained that 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. Similarly, as Tunisia is a State Party to the International Criminal Court, a Communication has been submitted regarding the persecution of political opponents and the crimes targeting migrants, requesting that a similar investigation to the one conducted in Libya be carried out in Tunisia.[4]
Kaouther Ferjani, whose father, Said Ferjani, has been in prison since 29 February 2023, explained that no evidence was presented in court, “not even before the sentencing” and “as a result my father’s lawyer decided, for the first time in 25 years, to boycott the pleading”. Since the beginning of his detention, the conditions in prison have been horrendous, with her father being held in an overcrowded cell with only one toilet and other ill individuals. He is also no longer allowed to speak to his fellow inmates, exacerbating the inhumane conditions of his detention. The treatment when being taken to court is equally appalling, as he is transported in a van where he cannot fully stand and is handcuffed before appearing in court. Said Ferjani has now been added to a conspiracy case, where the maximum sentence is the death penalty. Kaouther Ferjani explained, “We, as families, are calling for his release and the release of all political prisoners. We urge the international community to support us and call for their release” stressing that Tunisia “does listen” as demonstrated by the recent release of prisoners following a statement made by the United Nations. She concluded, “Any statement from the UN doesn’t go unnoticed”. Similarly, Dr. Ghannouchi, the daughter of Rached Ghannouchi, Speaker of Parliament democratically elected in 2019, asserted it is critical for the international community to put pressure on Tunisian authorities. She explained that there are tangible improvements when, for example, UN bodies are able to visit prisons and monitor trials. She added that Tunisia has ratified key human rights instruments, and that international obligations should therefore be upheld.
Aziz Akremi, the son of the imprisoned Judge Bechir Akremi, shared a similar testimony, explaining that his father was arrested at his home without a court warrant and without being informed of the reasons for his arrest, over allegations of corruption and supporting “terrorism.” This reflects the broader trend of the authorities targeting not only political opponents but also members of the judiciary. On 1 June 2022, Kais Saied unilaterally and summarily dismissed 57 magistrates, including 34 judges and 23 prosecutors, based on vague accusations of “moral and financial corruption” and “obstruction of judicial proceedings”.
Adel Mejri, Vice-President of the Association of Victims of Torture (AVTT), recalled the importance of public hearings and said it is shocking that detainees are not even allowed to attend their own trials, with only lawyers and judges present. Extract of recent letters written by detainees, such as Ghazi Chaouachi, were shared with the audience:
“We are establishing a precedent where justice becomes a weapon in the hands of power, used to silence all opposition and free speech. We have already seen dozens of lawyers, journalists, and activists prosecuted, arrested, and condemned on fabricated charges. This is a direct attack on the legal profession and on the entire judicial apparatus.”
In providing an overview of the separation of powers in Tunisia, Dr. Ghannouchi remarked, “No one is safe from this repressive machine. It is not a continuation; this regime has dismantled a democracy in the making”. However, she stated that there are individuals who continue to fight against this authoritarian regime. Dr. Ghannouchi also shared a shocking statistic from the Committee to Protect Journalists, revealing that as of December 2024, Tunisia has reached a troubling milestone, with at least five journalists behind bars, the highest number since the organisation began tracking in 1992.[5] Ziad Debbar, President of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), reported in January 2025 that four out of the five journalists imprisoned were convicted of violating the decree over their social media posts or commentary: “Decree 54 has now turned every journalist into a suspect”. Journalists can be summoned for questioning at any time over anything they post online.
This side event also addressed the situation of Sub-Saharan migrants as previously raised by UN experts in July 2023. The experts called on the Tunisian Government to take immediate steps to end racist hate speech in the country, protect Sub-Saharan migrants from violence, investigate reported acts of violence, and ensure access to justice and remedies for victims, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.[6] In this regard, Rodney Dixon KC also mentioned that family members of detained Tunisian opposition politicians have submitted a request to the International Criminal Court to investigate the attacks on Sub-Saharan migrants.
A researcher, who contributed to the report State trafficiking Expulsion and sale of migrants from Tunisia to Libya, and who remains anonymous for safety reasons, described a five-stage logistical chain of migrant trafficking, which has become increasingly structured ( see: https://www.borderforensics.org/news/statetrafficingreport/ ). According to the testimonies collected, migrants are arrested by the Tunisian Garde Nationale in various locations, including at sea, in workplaces and in informal camps. They are then transported to the Tunisian Libyan border in convoys, often escorted by police vehicles. In some instances, the Garde Nationale directly delivers migrants to the Libyan border, where they are forcibly sold. According to researchers, this logistical chain—including the coordinated nature of the operation, with new groups of migrants arriving on fixed days—reveals the involvement of both Tunisian and Libyan forces in the trafficking network. These findings have been corroborated by new testimonies, as well as geolocation data and satellite imagery, which have identified a meeting point between Tunisian and Libyan authorities near a Tunisian military camp and a detention centre where migrants are gathered before being taken to the border ( accessible here: https://statetrafficking.net/State-trafficking_03.mp4)
Piero Gorza, a representative of OnBorders and a contributor to the report believes that the evidence collected “provides rigorous documentation, certifying how the Tunisian State—specifically the Garde Nationale and the Army—alongside Libyan militias, have been involved in the sale of Sub-Saharan migrants for the purposes of enslavement and extortion”. The team of researchers concluded that this is not an isolated incident, but rather a carefully planned and organised logistical network linking the infrastructures for the expulsion of migrants to kidnapping operations that involve “all forms of violence imaginable, including slavery and extortion”.
[1] GHRTV World News, 4 March 2025, https://www.youtube.com/live/m3hnUrRQDTg.
[2] Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan, Tunisia: End all forms of persecution of opponents and activists, UN Press Release, 18 February 2025, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/02/tunisia-end-all-forms-persecution-opponents-and-activists.
[3] C.KIMEU, Families ask human rights court to free jailed Tunisian opposition leaders, The Guardian, 25 May 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/25/families-ask-human-rights-court-to-free-jailed-tunisian-opposition-leaders
[4] H.Mohamed, Families of jailed Tunisian opposition ask ICC to investigate president, Aljazeera 5 October 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/5/families-of-jailed-tunisian-opposition-ask-icc-to-investigate-president, Families of jailed Tunisians to urge ICC to probe migrant abuse: Report, Aljazeera 21 September 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/21/families-of-jailed-tunisians-to-urge-icc-to-probe-migrant-abuse-report
[5] Tunisia uses new cybercrime law to jail record number of journalists, CPJ Middle East and North Africa program, 16 January 2025 , https://cpj.org/2025/01/tunisia-uses-new-cybercrime-law-to-jail-record-number-of-journalists/#:~:text=Tunisia%20has%20reached%20a%20troubling,began%20keeping%20track%20in%201992.
[6] UN experts urge Tunisia to act swiftly to uphold migrants’ rights, UN Press release, 18 July 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/07/un-experts-urge-tunisia-act-swiftly-uphold-migrants-rights#:~:text=The%20UN%20experts%20called%20on,on%20the%20Elimination%20of%20Racial
