Tunisian authorities prosecuted Souab, 69, for statements he made outside of court while representing defendants in a notorious case of "conspiracy against state security." "His abusive prosecution for defending others from abusive prosecution shows the sheer extent of the Tunisian authorities' crackdown on any dissent." Human Rights Watch has documented the authorities' repeated attacks on the judiciary in Tunisia, including President Kais Saied's dismantling of the High Judicial Council in February 2022. The Tunisian authorities are increasingly relying on remote trials for terrorism cases, especially for politically motivated trials against dissidents. Tunisian authorities should stop prosecuting individuals for exercising their human rights, guarantee fair trials, and release all those arbitrarily detained, Human Rights Watch said.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 10, 2026 20:30 UTC