Reform urgently needed to ensure justice in Tunisia

News

The Law Society of England and Wales is marking International Fair Trial Day* at a conference taking place in Brussels today, to examine violations of fair trial rights in Tunisia and develop proposals for reform.

In recent years, Tunisia has seen a rapid decline in judicial independence and increased persecution of political opposition, journalists, human rights defenders and the lawyers that dare to represent them.

In April, a Tunisian court handed down sentences ranging from four to 66 years in prison to 37 well-known public and political figures deemed to be involved in a so-called ‘conspiracy case’ against state security.

The mass trial was described by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as "marred by violations of fair trial and due process rights, raising serious concerns about political motivations”.**

Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: “The intimidation and harassment of lawyers in Tunisia is extremely concerning and action must be taken to protect the country’s judicial system.

“Among those sentenced in the ‘conspiracy case’ is Ahmed Souab, one of the defence lawyers in the case who was arrested and charged alongside the defendants following comments he made about the trial. This raises serious concerns about the safety of lawyers and their ability to represent clients.

“This follows the unfair dismissal of 57 judges in 2022 when the president dissolved the supreme judicial council and created a deliberate gap in the judicial system, which impedes access to justice and undermines the rule of law.

“Fair trials are central to a functional justice system. We stand with our colleagues in Tunisia seeking to uphold the rule of law, human rights and access to justice.”

Notes to editors

*Learn more about International Fair Trial Day.

**Read the statement from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the ‘conspiracy case’.

Read the announcement of Tunisia as 2025’s International Fair Trial Day’s focus country.

As part of the International Fair Trial Day, the Ebru Timtik Award is granted each year by an independent jury to a lawyer or lawyers that has/have made a significant contribution to the defence and promotion of the right to a fair trial in the focus country.

The Law Society’s Lawyers at Risk programme aims to support legal professionals worldwide who face human rights violations because of their work and raise awareness of the risks they face.