Summary: 

Chokri Laabidi, a citizen from the region of Beja, was arrested and subjected to violence, conducted in the absence of his lawyer who was not allowed to be present at that time.

Personal Information:

Name: Chokri Laabidi

Region: Beja

Case: “Deliberate damage to another person’s property and insulting a public official during the performance of their duties through gestures, and threats,” which warrants criminal punishment, as well as “offending public morals, public defamation, assaulting a public official during the performance of their duties through threats of violence, evident intoxication, and causing disorder and disruption.”

Violation Incidents: 

On July 16, 2025, Chokri Laabidi was arrested, and escorted, handcuffed to a police station in central Beja.

There, he was subjected to physical and verbal violence in front of his lawyer. Additionally, his lawyer was not allowed to be present before the investigative officer, claiming that he was under the influence of alcohol, which was rejected by a group of lawyers at the police station, affirming that he has no apparent signs of intoxication, and that the situation requires investigative procedures and tests, but their request ended up being denied.

And at exactly 9:15 at night, lawyers were finally able to meet the victim of the violation and to inspect his condition inside the detention center, examine multiple documents and to also meet him in private, as required by law, he was granted medical assessment, and they were asked for the public prosecution to be consulted regarding this matter.

At 11:30 at night, following the public prosecution’s examination, police officers prohibited the victim’s lawyer from fulfilling his duties in representing his client, however another lawyer who was present with the group of lawyers decided to intervene and visit him, who was held in custody at the detention center at the police district in Beja.

And after approximately half an hour of both lawyers waiting in front of the police district in Beja, an ambulance arrived to urgently carry the victim to the emergency department in Beja, where doctors conducted a scan on his hand that had been in pain. Redness on his left hand, head and leg, was also observed by the group of lawyers who joined him.

On July 17,2025, the detention period of the victim of the violation was extended, and his lawyer filed a complaint order to the Judicial Investigation Unit of the National Guard in regarding the severe violence his client was subjected to, and concerning the obstruction of his duties as a lawyer. The victim was heard and his statement was taken regarding the violence inflicted on him by members of the Judicial Unit of the National Guard in Beja, and the identities of those who assaulted him were identified.

On the following day, Chokri Laabidi was taken to the court of First Instance in Beja, right after the termination of his detention period.

Lawyers then noticed that their client was wearing a cast on his injured hand.

Following his appearance before the public prosecutor, the victim of the violation was accused of “Deliberate damage to another person’s property and insulting a public official during the performance of their duties through gestures, and threats,” which warrants criminal punishment, as well as “offending public morals, public defamation, assaulting a public official during the performance of their duties through threats of violence, evident intoxication, and causing disorder and disruption.” And a detention warrant was eventually issued against him.

Despite his medical examination, the victim of the violation could not obtain a medical certificate. In fact, one of the lawyers mentioned that two whole weeks have gone by without providing any medical certificate concerning the case.

On July 22, 2025, the victim of the violation was released on bail, with a new court date set for August 5,2025. 

Human Rights violations: 

The circumstances revolving around Chokri Laabid’s arrest, and the treatment he was subjected to during his detention, represent a violation of the very essence of human dignity and bodily integrity.

The acts of violence committed by police officers against Chokri, by slapping and beating him while he was handcuffed and in the presence of his lawyer, the police officers’ actions represent a violation of national laws,starting with the 2022 Constitution, Article 22 states that “The state guarantees citizens individual and collective rights and freedoms, and ensures them the means to a dignified life.”

Article 25 affirms that “The state shall protect human dignity and bodily integrity, and shall prohibit both physical and psychological torture. The crime of torture is not subject to a statute of limitations”.

 Article 36 further states that “Every prisoner has the right to humane treatment that preserves their dignity.’

Additionally, the violence Chokri has endured in central Beja, while being handcuffed in front of his lawyer, contradicts with the Code of Conduct for the Internal Security Forces according to Order number 240 of 2023 dated to March 16, 2023. The Code affirms in Article 5 that security forces, while carrying out or in the course of performing their duties, must respect several fundamental principles, including respect for individual and collective rights and freedoms, as well as respect for human dignity.

In violation of the provisions of Article 29 of the same Code, which states that security officers must carry out their duties within the framework of the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, ensure the physical and psychological safety of the detainee, preserve their dignity, and provide them with the necessary protection and medical care.

The act of assaulting the victim of the violation constitutes a breach of international conventions and treaties, such as the provisions of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which affirms that “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

It also constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, particularly in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 16. The obligations set out in Articles 10, 11, 12, and 13 apply specifically by substituting references to “torture” with references to “other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The denial of a lawyer’s presence to accompany their client before the public prosecutor under the pretext that the client was “under the influence of alcohol” constitutes a violation of the right to defense and to a fair trial, as guaranteed by the Constitution and applicable laws. This includes Article 33 of the Constitution, which affirms that “the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial in which all guarantees of defense are ensured during the investigation and trial phases,” as well as Law  5 of 2016 on ensuring the rights of detainees, which explicitly requires the presence of a lawyer during questioning.

Furthermore, undermining the right to defense and a fair trial constitutes a violation of the principles set forth in international conventions and treaties, such as Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The series of violations inflicted on the victim of the violation and his lawyer, constitute a breach on the right to physical integrity, the protection of human dignity, and the right to a fair trial, as well as they reflect the clear persistence of police violence, in light of the policies of non accountability and the failure to bring justice for those responsible for human rights violations.