Summary:<\/b><\/p>\n
Rached Khiari, a former member of the 2019 Parliament and editor-in-chief of the Assada news website, is currently being held in the civil prison. He was arrested on August 3, 2022, in connection with several cases filed against him. During his imprisonment, his health condition has deteriorated significantly due to harsh prison conditions, despite medical reports warning of the seriousness of his situation and confirming that he suffers from cancerous diseases that require regular medical follow-up and continuous treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Personal Information:<\/b><\/p>\n Name: <\/b>Rached Khiari<\/span><\/p>\n Occupation<\/b>: <\/b>Former member of the 2019 Parliament and editor-in-chief of the Assada news website<\/span><\/p>\n Nationality<\/b>: <\/b>Tunisian<\/span><\/p>\n Age<\/b>: <\/b>42<\/span><\/p>\n \n Violation Incidents:<\/b><\/p>\n On August 3, 2025, Rached Khiari was arrested based on 4 search warrants issued against him by the Court of First Instance of Tunis , the Tunis 2 Court, and the Military Court. He was convicted in all the cases brought against him, most of which were related to the charge of \u201cinsulting others through the public communication network,\u201d in accordance with Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. He received prison sentences ranging from three months to one year.<\/span><\/p>\n And based on the lawyer\u2019s testimony, Rached Khiari was deprived of his rights, particularly his right to defense, as two of his hearings were scheduled for the same day, one before the military court and another before the Tunis Court of Appeal.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0Even though the defense pleaded his case before the military court, the Court of Appeal considered him absent despite the fact that he was in detention and could have been brought to the courtroom. The court upheld the initial verdict against him and refused to postpone the hearing date.<\/span><\/p>\n On August 29, 2025, The prison administration of El Rabta decided to release Rached Khiari after spending his sentence, however, according to his lawyer\u2019s testimony, officers from a security district detained him at their headquarters before the Public Prosecutor ordered his release.<\/span><\/p>\n After breathing a gust of freedom, and started treating the diseases on his body due to the poor conditions of his detention, a search warrant was issued against him on Friday 27, 2025 related to another case under an appellate court ruling that upheld the initial 6 month sentence. He was directly arrested the next day without his lawyers being informed of this order that was issued at night. The lawyer of the victim of the violation stated that the complainant in this case had dropped the charges on May 29, 2024. However, the court refused to postpone the ruling, and the trial proceeded without any pleadings from the lawyer or even the questioning of the victim. In addition to this sentence, Khiari faces other prison sentences ranging from two to eight months, and he is scheduled for a cassation hearing on October 24, 2025, regarding another one-year prison sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n Alongside the judicial violations surrounding Rached Khiari\u2019s cases, his imprisonment has also been marked by a severe mistreatment, his lawyer stated that\u00a0 Khiari is denied proper medical care despite being moved to Rabta Prison to stay near a hospital. A misdiagnosis lasting a full year allowed his tumors to spread to an advanced stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Also, a medical report dated June 27, 2025, confirmed his critical condition, requiring urgent chemotherapy and surgery, however, his appointment at Salah Azaiz Hospital was canceled without explanation, as well as the report also stressed the need for proper hygiene, cotton clothing, and psychological support.<\/span><\/p>\n Through a letter from his lawyer, Rached Khiari called for his release to receive treatment as his illness continues to worsen each day.<\/span><\/p>\n Human Rights Violations:<\/b><\/p>\n The case of Rached Khiari highlights grave human rights violations, notably the denial of his right to a fair trial and to adequate healthcare which constitutes a clear breach of international human rights standards and human dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n Since his arrest on August 3, 2022, Khiari has faced severe violations, he was detained based on four search warrants issued by various courts, including the Tunis First Instance Court, Tunis 2 Court, and the Military Court, and was convicted in all cases brought against him.<\/span><\/p>\n The judicial proceedings in his cases contradict Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees the right to a fair and independent trial and legal defense, as well as Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which ensures the right to be heard and to a fair trial with legal counsel. These proceedings also violate the Tunisian Constitution, which states in Article 23 that \u201call citizens are equal in rights and duties and are equal before the law without discrimination,\u201d and Article 124, which guarantees \u201cthe right to a fair trial within a reasonable time and equality before the courts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n His arrest on August 29, 2024, without any legal justification, constitutes arbitrary detention and violates his right to liberty and personal security. The repeated convictions, prolonged detentions, and unjustified delays reflect a pattern of retaliation and restrictions on Khiari\u2019s freedom of expression. This violates Article 2 of the UDHR, which affirms that everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms without discrimination, and Article 26 of the ICCPR, which guarantees equality before the law and equal protection without discrimination illustrating a clear breach of justice and human rights principles.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the judicial violations, Khiari\u2019s suffering continued in prison, where he was deprived of basic rights as a Tunisian citizen and detainee, including the right to health and medical treatment. His condition, involving life-threatening tumors, has worsened due to the lack of proper care and disregard for medical recommendations. This violates Article 25 of the UDHR (the right to an adequate standard of living for health and well-being), Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health), and Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights (the right to the best attainable state of physical and mental health). These practices also breach Rule 24 of the Nelson Mandela Rules, which obliges states to provide prisoners with healthcare equivalent to that available in the community.<\/span><\/p>\n \n"},"free-categories":[67],"countries":[37],"state":[36],"class_list":["post-5444","freedom-faces","type-freedom-faces","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","free-categories-67","countries-37","state-36"],"yoast_head":"\n