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After half a Year in Prison: Saloua Ghrissa’s Pretrial Detention Extended Without Clear Charges or Trial

Executive Director of the Association for the Activation of the Right to Difference, Ms. Salwa Ghrissa

Tunis, June 10, 2025 – The investigating judge at the Bizerte Court of First Instance decided to extend the pretrial detention of Saloua Ghrissa, Executive Director of the Association for the Activation of the Right to Difference, an association concerned with minority rights in Tunisia, for an additional four months. This extension was made without her appearing before any court and without any substantive developments in her legal case since her imprisonment in December 2024.

Case Background

The case dates back to December 2024, when Saloua Ghrissa was arrested and a warrant was issued against her under Articles 92, 93, and 94 of Basic Law No. 26 of 2015 on Combating Terrorism and Preventing Money Laundering, on suspicions related to the association’s management and financing.
 
These charges were brought against her without her being afforded the right to a full defense. She was only interrogated three times, and on December 9, 2024, she was brought directly before the Sub-Directorate of Economic and Financial Research, without being referred to court or facing a clear indictment.
 
She was subsequently referred to the Public Prosecutor on December 10, 2024, before a warrant was issued for her imprisonment on the 12th of the same month. Since that date, the case has not witnessed any significant legal developments until the latest extension decision.

Unjustifiably Postponed Trial:

The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory believes that the extension of Saloua Ghrissa’s pretrial detention, despite the passage of more than six months (180 days) of her detention without a verdict or clear criminal charge, constitutes a flagrant violation of the right to liberty and a fair trial. It raises serious questions about the political nature of the case, especially in light of an environment of discrimination against associations defending minorities.
 
The Observatory recalls that keeping the activist in prison, while the remaining members of the association remain free, indicates selective judicial manipulation and represents a clear attempt to pressure defenders of minority rights in Tunisian society.
 
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory calls for:
  • The immediate release of Saloua Ghrissa pending a decision in the case, out of respect for her right to freedom and dignity;
  • The cessation of the use of pretrial detention as a disguised punishment, especially when it is not accompanied by published evidence or developments in the case;
  • The granting of a fair trial in accordance with international standards, free from politicization or discrimination;
  • The respect of Tunisia’s international obligations to protect human rights defenders, including those working on issues affecting minorities and vulnerable groups.
The Observatory affirms that justice is not based on prolonged detention, but rather on guarantees of a fair trial and respect for the principle of equality before the law, without selectivity or political motives.

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Call to Action

Website petition: Freedom for prisoners of conscience and activists in Tunisia!

Tunisia is no longer the Arab exception that inspired the world in 2011 with a heroic revolution that overthrew the rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled for nearly 23 years after seizing power on November 7, 1987, in a coup against Habib Bourguiba.

In a similar and perhaps more dangerous move, on the night of July 25, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied carried out a “constitutional coup” in accordance with his personal interpretation of Article 80 of the 2014 Revolutionary Constitution, announcing that he had taken a set of exceptional measures due to the “imminent danger” that threatens Tunisia without providing any details or reasons.

In accordance with these measures, Saied dismissed the government and the prime minister Hichem Mechichi who was present at the National Security Council that night at the Carthage Palace, and claimed that he had contacted the Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi (leader of the Ennahdha party) to consult with him in accordance with what is stipulated by the constitution, a claim which Ghannouchi denied since the call was general and did not include anything about exceptional measures or any consultation on the matter. The president suspended Parliament and later dissolved it in March 2022.

Not only did Saied seek to bypass his powers and the articles of the Constitution, which he swore to protect before the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, but he went on to dismiss and change the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council after redefining the judiciary it as a “function” rather than an independent authority. He further replaced members of the Supreme Electoral Commission in preparation for the referendum he held in order to vote on a constitution that he wrote himself after dismissing the proposals of the drafting committee he had himself appointed. Then legislative elections were held over two rounds, in which the participation rate did not exceed 8% of the total number of voters, with the Election Commission later announcing that it had reached 11%, which is the lowest participation rate in Tunisia and globally.

On February 11, President Saied’s regime launched a campaign of protests that has not stopped since, against political leaders, media figures, journalists, judges and senior officials and civil servants, for charges of “conspiring against the security of the state and committing an offensive act against the President of the Republic,” in addition to other charges that were referred to the military prosecution, leading one to wonder about the implication of the Tunisian army in the actions taken by Saied.

The arbitrary arrests were marred by several procedural violations amid criticism from prominent international organizations and observatories in the field of human rights. The standards of litigation and detention period and conditions were not respected. Prosecution and harassment sometimes extended to the detainees’ families, and no evidence, and in many cases, no charges against them were presented.

Moreover trade unions and political parties continue to be subjected to constant harassment and restrictions. Saied continues to target all “intermediary bodies” accusing them of “collaboration” or “treason”. Civil society associations have also been subjected to prosecution, arbitrary arrests and deprivation from representation, in a context of of increasing violence in society due to the authorities’ adoption of racist and discriminatory speeches and rhetoric inciting infighting and violating human dignity.

In light of the above, we, the undersigned, demand the following:

Call for the immediate release of all political detainees, immediately and unconditionally. We also urge the Tunisian authorities to recognize the national and the international human rights treaties they have ratified.
Call on the Tunisian authorities to stop dismantling the nascent democracy and put an end to unfair trials and prosecutions against political opponents of the regime and anyone who criticises it.
Call on all activists and observers to join the national movement for restoring democracy and ending authoritarian rule that has taken Tunisia back to despotism, injustice, and violations of rights and freedoms.