Amnesty International

Kais

Saied

Tunisian Presidency

Your excellencies,

I write to express my grave concern following the arbitrary arrest and detention of political activist Chaima Issa, human rights lawyer Ayachi Hammami, and prominent opposition figure Ahmed Nejib Chebbi.

They were arrested following the decision by the Tunis Court of Appeal to uphold the unjust convictions in the so-called “conspiracy case” against 34 defendants. Chaima Issa and Ayachi Hammami announced hunger strikes to protest their arbitrary arrest and detention. 
Tunisian authorities undermined the fairness of this trial by violating due process of law, including the decision to deny detained defendants their right to appear in person and instead to hold proceedings remotely.

The Appeal Court increased the sentences of a number of defendants, including political activists Jaouhar Ben Mbarek and Chaima Issa whose sentences were raised from 18 to 20 years. Lawyer and human rights defender Ayachi Hammami had his 5-year sentence confirmed while prominent opposition leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi was sentenced 12 years.

Among the 34 individuals sentenced in this trial, six opposition political figures – Khayyam Turki (sentenced to 35 years) Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Issam Chebbi, Ghazi Chaouachi, Ridha Belhaj (20 years) and Abdelhamid Jelassi (10 years) have been held in arbitrary detention since the investigation began in February 2023. Other defendants in this case include several individuals who had been sentenced or held in pretrial detention in relation to other politically motivated cases, such as senior opposition figures Noureddine Bhiri (20 years), Sahbi Atig (10 years), and Said Ferjani (10 years) from the former ruling Ennahdha party. The court also sentenced in absentia 20 individuals living abroad, including prominent human rights defender Bochra Bel Haj Hmida, who was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

I urge you and your government to quash the unjust convictions and sentences of all defendants and to immediately and unconditionally release those who are detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Finally, I urge you and your government to cease the politically motivated prosecutions of critics, political opponents, human rights defenders and activists.

Sincerely,

Mr.

Mohamed Ali

Nafti

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Your excellencies,

Sincerely,

Mrs.

Leila

Jaffel

Ministry of Justice

Your excellencies,

Sincerely,

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