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Riadh Bettaieb

Arbitrarily detained in Al-Messaadine prison

Card Contents

About

Position/Affiliation
Leading member of the Ennahdha Party and former Minister of Investment and International Cooperation (2011-2013)

Date of birth
January 3, 1961

Profession
Engineer

Nationality
Tunisian

Lawyers
Defense Committee for Political Prisoners in Tunisia

Date Targeted

February 23, 2023

Current Status

Arbitrarily detained in Al-Messaadine prison

Charges

Conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state in connection with the Instalingo case

Cases and Violations

Judicial Authority
Counter-Terrorism Pole

Case details

  • February 23, 2023: Security authorities at Tunis-Carthage International Airport prevented Bettaieb from traveling. He was informed that he was wanted by the judiciary in connection with the case related to the “Instalingo” company, and he was informed of the need to settle his situation before the judicial authority in charge of his case. On the same day, the Public Prosecution Office authorized the Financial Judicial Police of El-Gorjani to arrest Bettaieb.
  • August 10, 2023: The Defense Authority for Bettaieb issued a statement about the deterioration of his health condition while he was detained in Al-Messadine prison and said, “His health condition has witnessed a rapid deterioration, as he suffers from chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, arterial disease, and kidney failure. He was following a specific nutritional diet on the recommendation of the prison doctor for a period of four months before the prison administration arbitrarily canceled it, contrary to the recommendations of the prison doctor. While the Defense committee calls on the prison administration to respect its legal obligations to provide health care to detainees under its supervision, it alerts to the noticeable deterioration of the health of its client through the appearance of several serious symptoms that necessitated his transfer to the hospital.”
  • August 14, 2023: The Defense Committee for Political Prisoners in Tunisia revealed that Riadh Bettaieb is in prison for political reasons and that a photo of him with Rached Ghannouchi was the reason for his imprisonment. The Committee said that Bettaieb had nothing to do with the conspiracy case, but was rather inserted into what is known as the “Instalingo Company” case simply because he borrowed a sum of money from one of those prosecuted in the case.

Breaches
The Defense Committee for Political Prisoners in Tunisia revealed during an emergency press conference on August 14, 2023, that Bettaieb was stopped at Tunis-Carthage Airport after he had completed all travel procedures and passed through to the departure hall, adding that “all procedures were done discretionarily via phone calls, even though… His name was not included in the list of those who were charged in the (Instalingo) case, so his name was not present in the official order to open the investigation,” stressing that “there are many contradictions, some of which are unprecedented, as some of the charges and referral texts found in the decision to close the investigation are not identical to those contained in the decision to open the investigation” according to it. Lawyer Samir Dilou, a member of the defense committee, pointed out that “some of the main data in the reports of the Financial Analysis Committee were contradictory to what was stated in the decision to open the investigation,” stressing that “more than 100 people were heard in the (Instalingo) case, and none of them ever mentioned Bettaieb.” “In fact, they are just conclusions from the investigating judge, and the whole case is based on a picture that brings together Bettaieb, the head of the party to which he belongs, and a foreign senior political official who has relations with the Tunisian state,” according to the lawyer.

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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.