September 8, 2026 – Businessman Lazhar Sta, 72, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, September 8, 2026, following a deterioration in his health while in prison and his subsequent transfer to La Rabta Hospital. His family has held the authorities responsible for the conditions of his detention, citing a failure to provide adequate water and medical care suited to his health needs, as well as a delay in notifying them of his deteriorating condition and death.
Lazhar Sta suffered from chronic illnesses, including heart failure and respiratory issues—conditions that required close medical monitoring, particularly given the soaring temperatures inside the prison in recent weeks.
Sta had previously served as the CEO of Carthage Cement and had faced prison sentences in multiple financial cases over the past few years. He was initially arrested in 2019 and released in 2022, before being imprisoned again last year.
One Liter of Water Daily and Suffocating Heat
The family states that the water supply to Mornaguia Prison was cut off for several days and that Lazhar Sta received only about one liter of water per day—an amount insufficient given his health condition and need for hydration.
They also described the detention conditions as harsh, noting extremely poor ventilation and temperatures inside the prison cells that exceeded 50 degrees Celsius. These factors are particularly critical given his age and his cardiac and respiratory conditions; deprivation of sufficient water and prolonged exposure to high temperatures can pose an immediate threat to the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
Rule 22 of the Nelson Mandela Rules explicitly mandates that drinking water must be available to every prisoner whenever they need it, while the rules also stipulate that accommodation facilities must take into account climatic conditions, ventilation, temperature, and adequate space.
Furthermore, Tunisian Law No. 52 of 2001 regarding the prison system stipulates that prisoners’ cells must have adequate ventilation and lighting and be equipped with necessary sanitary facilities; it also guarantees prisoners free medical treatment and medication, whether within the prison or at medical institutions when required.
From Prison to Hospital, Then Coma
His family states that Lazhar Sta was transferred to the hospital on Saturday following a deterioration in his health, before falling into a coma on Monday.
His family praised the doctors overseeing his treatment, affirming that they did everything possible to save him, and noted their own efforts to procure a medical device he required during his treatment.
Conversely, they criticized the Ministry of Justice and the prison administration, arguing that medical intervention came only after his condition had deteriorated under detention conditions unsuitable for a 72-year-old suffering from serious illnesses.
These events raise a legal issue that extends beyond merely determining the direct medical cause of death. Even if the death resulted directly from medical complications, it remains essential to determine whether detention conditions—such as water shortages, heat, or the timing of medical intervention—contributed to the deterioration of his health.
Handcuffed in the Intensive Care Unit
One of the most alarming details in his daughter’s testimony is that Lazhar Sta remained handcuffed while ill in the intensive care unit.
International standards do not categorically prohibit the use of restraints in all circumstances; however, they designate them as an exceptional measure subject to the principles of necessity and proportionality, particularly within healthcare facilities. UN mechanisms have called for prisoners not to be restrained while receiving medical care unless there is an absolute and specific security necessity—such as a genuine risk of escape or harm to oneself or others—rather than simply because the patient is a prisoner.
In the case of a 72-year-old man suffering from chronic illnesses and admitted to the intensive care unit, continued handcuffing requires a security justification; otherwise, it raises serious concerns regarding respect for human dignity and the proportionality of the restraints used.
Family Not Informed of Death
The family also accused the prison administration of failing to notify them directly about the deterioration of his condition and his subsequent death. They asserted that, upon learning the family had received information about his status, officials focused on identifying the source of the leak rather than addressing the family’s right to know their father’s health condition.
The family went further, accusing the administration of attempting to alter or manipulate the recorded date of death and demanding an investigation into the matter.
The issue of notification carries legal significance; Rules 68 and 69 of the Nelson Mandela Rules stipulate that a person designated by the prisoner must be informed in the event of serious illness or transfer to a healthcare facility, and that the prisoner’s next of kin must be notified immediately upon their death. Consequently, the fact that the family learned of their relative’s critical condition through unofficial channels—or was not notified immediately upon his death—cannot be dismissed as a mere administrative oversight; rather, it infringes upon the family’s right to information and the dignity of both the prisoner and his family.
Prison Visits: Security Measures Lacking Due Regard for Humanitarian Considerations
The family also criticized the conditions of prison visits—specifically communication via a glass partition and telephone, as well as the difficulties encountered in conversing with the prisoner—arguing that regulations are applied mechanically, without regard for humanitarian aspects.
Tunisian law guarantees a prisoner the right to maintain family and social ties and to receive visits from relatives; indeed, the preservation of family ties is a foundational principle of the prison system. While this does not imply an absolute right to barrier-free visits in every instance, it mandates that the administration ensure security and organizational requirements do not devolve into degrading or disproportionate practices, and that due consideration is given to the prisoner’s age, health status, and ability to communicate.
Custodial Death Requires More Than Just a Medical Certificate
The death of an individual while under state responsibility triggers a procedural obligation to investigate the surrounding circumstances—particularly when allegations arise regarding water shortages, poor detention conditions, delays in medical treatment, or failure to notify the family.
Rule 71 of the Nelson Mandela Rules stipulates that any death occurring in custody must be reported without delay to a judicial or other authority independent of the prison administration, while ensuring the preservation of all evidence.
Therefore, the investigation into the death of Lazhar Sta should not be limited to identifying the medical cause of cardiac or respiratory arrest; rather, it must fully reconstruct the events leading up to his death. This includes examining the quantity of water he received, the temperature and ventilation of his living quarters, medical examinations, the timeline of his health deterioration, and the decisions regarding his transfer and treatment upon arrival at the hospital.
Position of the Freedom for Tunisia Observatory
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory expresses its strong condemnation of the death of Lazhar Sta while in prison. It holds the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate of Prisons and Rehabilitation fully institutionally accountable for ensuring the lives and safety of individuals under their authority, and demands an independent investigation into the suspected shortcomings and negligence surrounding his final days.
The Observatory maintains that a 72-year-old prisoner suffering from heart and respiratory failure should not be treated as though his health condition were a trivial detail.
The Observatory strongly condemns the reported facts regarding water supply interruptions at Mornaguia Prison and the restriction of Lazhar Satta’s water ration to approximately one liter per day, despite his medical needs. The Observatory also rejects the mechanical application of prison regulations devoid of humanitarian considerations; the treatment of an elderly, sick prisoner in the intensive care unit cannot be justified if it mirrors the treatment of a healthy, mobile individual.
The Observatory particularly condemns the shackling of Lazhar Sta while he was in the intensive care unit. It demands disclosure of the grounds for keeping an individual in critical condition restrained, and a determination of whether there was a genuine security necessity to justify such action.
It also condemns the failure to timely notify the family of their father’s deteriorating health and subsequent death. The Observatory views the family’s account—indicating that officials were preoccupied with how the news would reach them rather than with providing the information itself—as revealing a dangerous flaw in the culture of dealing with prisoners and their families.
Furthermore, the Observatory considers the family’s allegation that the administration attempted to alter the recorded time of death to be a matter of grave concern. It calls for an investigation into this claim using official hospital and prison records, the death certificate, and intensive care unit admission logs, and demands that any official found to have altered or concealed information be held accountable.
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory emphasizes that a conviction in a financial case does not strip an individual of their right to life, health, or dignity. It also notes that Lazhar Sta’s death is not an isolated incident; between July and early September, the Observatory received reports regarding more than 22 prisoner deaths and is currently verifying the circumstances of each case, interviewing families, and gathering relevant documentation. The Observatory considers that the rising number of deaths—occurring amidst a heatwave and alongside complaints regarding overcrowding, water shortages, poor ventilation, and inadequate medical care—demands urgent intervention from the Ministry of Justice and the Presidency. Treating each death as an isolated, individual incident is insufficient.
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory calls for:
- Opening an independent and transparent judicial investigation into the death of Lazhar Sta, covering the circumstances of his detention and the days leading up to his hospital transfer.
- Determining the precise medical cause of death and the extent to which heat, water shortages, detention conditions, or any delay in treatment contributed to the deterioration of his health.
- Investigating the water supply interruption at Mornaguia Prison and the quantity of water provided to Lazhar Sta and other inmates during that period.
- Disclosing the full medical timeline of the case, including examination dates, medication administration, the onset of health deterioration, the decision to transfer him to the hospital, and his condition upon arrival.
- Granting the family and their lawyer access to the complete medical file, prison and hospital reports, the death certificate, and all relevant documentation.
- Investigating why the family was not notified immediately upon the deterioration of his condition, his transfer, and his death.
- Investigating allegations that the date or time of death was altered, and cross-referencing records from the prison, hospital, intensive care unit, and all other relevant official documents.
- Investigating the reasons for keeping the prisoner handcuffed while in the intensive care unit and determining whether there was a genuine security necessity justifying such a measure.
- Reviewing visitation conditions for elderly and sick prisoners and adopting arrangements that take their health and humanitarian needs into account while preserving family ties.
- Launch a comprehensive investigation into deaths recorded in prisons during the heatwave and publish detailed official figures regarding their numbers, causes, and the specific facilities where they occurred.
- Take urgent measures to ensure a continuous water supply, improve ventilation, reduce overcrowding, and provide medical monitoring for the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
- Implement conditional release, pardons, and legal alternatives to imprisonment for the elderly and the sick, rather than keeping them in conditions that could endanger their lives.
- Grant the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture and independent human rights organizations access to prison facilities to document water availability, temperature levels, and healthcare conditions.
- Hold accountable any official found to have been negligent, to have withheld information, or to have contributed to conditions that led to death.
