On Saturday, 29 November 2025, the political activist Chaima Issa was arrested following her abduction by plain-clothes police officers while she was participating in a peaceful demonstration held in downtown Tunis. This arrest occurred one day after the appellate judgment issued on Friday, 28 November 2025, sentencing her to 20 years’ imprisonment in what has been publicly referred to as the “Conspiracy Case.” It is the same case in which she had previously been placed in pre-trial detention in February 2023, before being released in July of the same year.
It should be noted that Chaima Issa is also facing other proceedings connected to her political activism and the exercise of her right to freedom of expression. Among these cases is the matter heard by the Criminal Division of the Tunis Military Court of Appeal in October 2024, which issued a six-month custodial sentence with postponement of execution, on the basis of a media statement after which she was charged with “inciting members of the armed forces to disobey orders,” “spreading false information,” and “insulting the Head of State.”
In this context, the association Intersection for Rights and Freedoms strongly condemns the abduction and arrest of Chaima Issa, considering this arbitrary measure a serious escalation in the ongoing targeting of political actors and human rights defenders, and a direct threat to political freedoms in Tunisia. The association further considers that the continued use of judicial and security mechanisms to restrict political and civic activity reflects a sharp and alarming deterioration in the system of rights and freedoms.
The association calls for the immediate release of the political activist Chaima Issa and all political detainees held in connection with this case, for an end to the related prosecutions and arbitrary measures, and for strict respect for the basic guarantees of a fair trial and the rights of the defence, in full compliance with the international human rights treaties ratified by the Tunisian State.
