Rabii Chihaoui

Summary

Rabii Chihaoui, a young Tunisian, died on 2 November 2022 in mysterious circumstances, two days after being committed to Mornaguia civil prison.

Personal Information

Name: Rabii Chihaoui

Age: 22

Nationality: Tunisian

Status: Young man living in a working-class neighbourhood

Incidents of Violation

Rabii Chihaoui was a young Tunisian living in Hay Hilal in Tunis. He was arrested by the police because of a fight between him and a neighbour, who filed a complaint with the police; Rabii was then arrested and taken to the police custody centre, where he spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and was then transferred to Mornaguia civil prison on Saturday 5 November 2022. The sister of the victim, Rabii, stated that when she visited her brother at the custody centre he was in good health and showed no signs of violence, and asserted that the violence and beating that caused his death took place inside Mornaguia prison. Numerous photos of the victim, Rabii, after his death circulated, showing scars, bruises and serious marks of violence on many parts of his body, which the victim's sister asserted were the main cause of her brother's death. In a statement to a radio station she said that Rabii did not have any serious illness or suffer from anything, and that he entered prison in good health. For its part, the General Committee for Prisons and Rehabilitation denied that Rabii, who was held in Mornaguia prison, had been subjected to any kind of torture, neglect or negligence during his time in prison, and said that he died while being transferred to a hospital.

Legal Procedures

After the news of Rabii Chihaoui's death, an investigation was opened into the circumstances of his death in order to uncover its real causes.

Human Rights Violations

The photos circulated on social media, once their authenticity is confirmed, constitute a form of ill-treatment and a violation of human rights, and the violence inflicted on him constitutes torture, which is criminalised by the Tunisian Constitution and other international instruments. In addition, there is a violation of the right to life, a sacred right protected by Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Sources

This case was documented on the basis of social media posts, the testimony of his family and the statements they made to the media, as well as the published photos showing the marks of violence on Rabii's body, the official statement of the Ministry of the Interior, and a number of press articles.