Since the inception of International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) in 2021, the IBAHRI has been at the forefront of this yearly initiative, working with a global coalition of bar associations and human rights organisations to spotlight countries where systemic violations of fair trial guarantees demand urgent international attention. This year’s report documents the rapid erosion of judicial independence, the targeting of legal professionals and human rights defenders and the widespread misuse of counter-terrorism and cybercrime legislation to criminalise peaceful dissent and legitimate professional activity in Tunisia.
The publication of the report coincides with the start of the appeal hearing on 12 February for the former administrative judge, lawyer and 2025 IFTD Ebru Timtik Award laureate, Ahmed Souab. Mr Souab was convicted on 31 October 2025 by the Tunis Court of First Instance and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and three years of administrative control following a summary remote hearing lasting only a few minutes. Mr Souab faces terrorism and ‘false information’ charges under Decree Law No. 54 after acting as a leading defence lawyer in the so-called ‘conspiracy case’ and publicly denouncing the lack of judicial independence and executive interference in the proceedings.
The IBAHRI warns that, given the extraordinary speed of the first instance proceedings and the short timeframe in which the appeal has been scheduled, Mr Souab is at risk of an even harsher sentence, and stresses that the appeal offers a critical test for a judiciary whose independence has been severely eroded since Tunisian President Kais Saied’s power grab. The Institute calls on the Tunisian authorities to uphold basic guarantees of due process and to ensure that Mr Souab receives a fair, public and independent hearing, and urges the international community to monitor the case closely and to press for the implementation of the report’s recommendations on judicial independence, protection of lawyers and respect for fundamental rights.
