To access the report: Behind the Walls Report on Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Medical Neglect at the Heart of Tunisia’s Prison System

Tunis, 28 October 2025 — The Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms (IARF) has published a new report titled Behind the Walls: Report on Torture and Medical Neglect in the Tunisian Prison System, documenting violations committed against individuals deprived of liberty in Tunisia between 2015 and 2025.

Covering a ten-year period, the study exposes patterns of torture, ill-treatment, and medical neglect within detention centers and prisons. It identifies 24 documented cases involving citizens, activists, and political figures, including instances of medical negligence and suspicious deaths inside places of detention.

Prepared using multiple sources, the report draws on interviews with victims, their lawyers, and families, as well as consultations with experts and human rights organizations. It also relies on IARF’s monitoring and documentation database, in addition to findings from national and international organizations and relevant media investigations.

Through this work, IARF seeks to highlight the ongoing violations occurring behind prison walls and to evaluate the compatibility of Tunisia’s legal and institutional framework with its international human rights obligations, particularly regarding the treatment of persons deprived of liberty.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations addressed to the executive and judicial authorities, as well as to civil society, aimed at ensuring the protection of the rights of persons deprived of liberty in line with international standards.

First: Recommendations to the Executive Authority

• Adopt a comprehensive national strategy: Develop, in cooperation with civil society organizations, a national plan to promote respect for human rights and freedoms in detention and prison facilities. This plan should include a thorough review of law enforcement training programs, emphasizing both theoretical and practical aspects.

• Promote human rights awareness: Introduce an educational component on fundamental rights and duties within primary, middle, and secondary school curricula.

• Train and professionalize law enforcement officers: Expand and strengthen training programs for both new and current officers, and establish regular monitoring mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of these policies.

• Ensure transparency and accountability: Equip detention and prison facilities with cameras and audiovisual recording devices to promote transparency and document any violations.

• Improve detention conditions: Renovate prisons and equip them with adequate medical facilities to guarantee proper healthcare for detainees, while respecting capacity limits and preventing overcrowding.

• Implement alternative sentencing: Enforce and expand the use of alternative penalties where appropriate, and ensure that detainees’ rights are upheld in accordance with national and international legal frameworks, while harmonizing domestic legislation with international standards.

Second: Recommendations to the Judicial Authority

• Strengthen judicial oversight: Increase the frequency of visits by public prosecutors to detention centers and police facilities, or establish a specialized prosecutorial role dedicated to safeguarding rights and freedoms.

• Promote judicial independence: Support the work of the Temporary Supreme Judicial Council to guarantee the independence of judges.

• Accelerate the adjudication of cases: Expedite proceedings related to suspicious deaths and abuses committed by security forces, and uphold the principle of fair trial in cases where violations are established.

• Apply alternative sanctions: Broaden the use of alternative sentences, including electronic monitoring bracelets, in accordance with international best practices.

Third: Recommendations to Civil Society

• Form a unified front: Establish a joint platform bringing together civil society actors to defend and promote human rights and freedoms, while also raising awareness among both citizens and security forces.

• Continue monitoring and documentation: Strengthen efforts to monitor and document violations occurring within detention and prison facilities.

To access the report: Behind the Walls Report on Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Medical Neglect at the Heart of Tunisia’s Prison System