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Trial of the “Conspiracy Against State Security 2” case Postponed, Once Again, and All Defense Requests Rejected

Tunis, May 27, 2025 – The Criminal Chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance decided on Tuesday to postpone the trial of the case known as “Conspiracy Against State Security 2” until June 24, 2025, rejecting all formal requests submitted by the defendants’ lawyers.

The rejected requests included a request to release several detainees, including Mehrez Zouari (former Director General of the Specialized Services at the Ministry of Interior), Kamel Bedoui, and Abdelkarim Laabidi, in addition to a request to transfer the case to the military judiciary, given the defendants’ security background and the background of the incidents attributed to them.

All of these requests were rejected following a brief pleading session, without detailed judicial justification being presented in the public hearing, indicating a lack of procedural transparency.

Terrorism Judiciary Transformed into A Cover for Settling Political Scores:

The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory believes that the course of the case once again reflects the unfortunate political nature of this case, especially in light of the absence of substantial evidence made public, and the reliance of prosecutions on anonymous reports and vague descriptions of the charges, such as “conspiracy” and “threatening state security.”

Although the Observatory does not support, in principle, the referral of civilians or defendants to military courts, it believes that the court’s refusal to even consider a request to relinquish the case to a competent court based on the defendants’ previous status is an additional indicator of the restricted judicial process and the lack of transparency.

The Observatory also notes a clear obstruction of the right to defense, through the refusal to release detainees without adequate justification, and the repeated postponements that prolong pretrial detention without genuine legal justification, which violates the basic principles of a fair trial.

The Tunisian Freedom Observatory calls for:

  • Publishing the details of the case and enabling the public to know the true facts and the evidence used.
  • Transferring the case to the competent ordinary court, if the facts do not meet the criteria for a terrorist crime, as defined by the law.
  • Release detainees in the absence of serious evidence of a risk of flight or recidivism,
  • Stop expanding the jurisdiction of the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Pole to include controversial cases of a political or administrative nature.

The Observatory emphasizes that the continued prosecution of former civilian or security figures in cases based on vague testimonies without clear evidence reflects a climate of judicial liquidation and threatens the foundations of justice in Tunisia.

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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.