On 22 April 2026, the Court of First Instance in Medenine sentenced human rights activist and former President of “the Children of the Moon Association”, Abdallah Saiid, to one year in prison. The Public Prosecutor has appealed the ruling. Abdallah Saeed has been in pre-trial detention since 12 November 2024 in connection with his civil society activities.
He was summoned by phone on 12 November 2024, along with the Association’s Secretary General and Treasurer. They were all questioned and placed in custody on the same day by the National Unit for the Investigation of Complex Crimes in El Gorjani, without being informed of specific or clearly defined charges.
At a later stage, the case was referred to the Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in Medenine, who considered that there were suspicions of a terrorist nature, leading to its referral to the Judicial Counter Terrorism Pole on 17 November 2024. However, on 26 November 2024, it was determined that no terrorist suspicion existed, and the case was returned to the Public Prosecutor in Medenine. Despite this significant development, which removed the most serious criminal characterization, a judicial investigation was subsequently opened on charges related to money laundering, embezzlement, and offenses against state security.
Abdallah Saiid is among the human rights defenders who have dedicated their work to serving citizens across Tunisia and defending their right to healthcare and human dignity. He founded the Children of the Moon Association in Medenine, which provides support to children with xeroderma pigmentosum, promotes the social and economic inclusion of vulnerable groups, and delivers medical, psychological, and humanitarian assistance.
In this context, Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms condemns the sentence issued against Abdallah Saiid, following proceedings in which he had already spent more than eighteen months in pre-trial detention and which lacked the guarantees of a fair trial. Intersection Association further stresses that his case cannot be viewed in isolation from a broader climate marked by increasing restrictions on civil society and humanitarian work in Tunisia. This is particularly evident in the rise of discriminatory rhetoric and practices targeting migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside the use of pre-trial detention as a tool to limit the activities of civil society actors.
While expressing its deep concern over prison sentences imposed on human rights defenders, Intersection Association considers that such prosecutions targeting civil society work constitute a serious violation of freedom of association and a contraction of civic space. These proceedings also take place in conditions where individuals are effectively presumed guilty before judicial determination, in clear contradiction with Tunisia’s constitutional and international obligations to protect rights, freedoms, and human dignity.
Intersection Association therefore renews its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Abdallah Saiid and for the dismissal of all charges related to his civil and humanitarian activities. It also calls for an end to the instrumentalization of the judiciary as a tool of punishment rather than justice and urges the Tunisian authorities to ensure full respect for national and international legal standards, in a manner that strengthens the rule of law and safeguards judicial independence and integrity.
