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UN rapporteurs and NGOs raise concerns over Turkey’s treatment of human rights defenders

April 29, 2026

On April 22, 2026 United Nations special rapporteurs raised serious concerns about Turkey’s use of counterterrorism laws to judicially harass and criminalize human rights defenders and lawyers, including what they described as the misuse of the terrorism financing law, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported.

In a letter sent to the Turkish government on February 23, 2026, but published only recently, the rapporteurs said authorities were pursuing charges including membership in a terrorist organization and terrorism financing against rights defenders and lawyers, singling out the Human Rights Association (İHD) as a particular target.

The rapporteurs pointed to the case of İHD member Hatice Onaran, who was convicted in 2024 of “violating the law on financing terrorism” after sending small amounts of money to poor and sick prisoners. They also cited the cases of four other members —Osman Süzen, Suna Bilgin, Tuğba Kahraman and Mehmet Acettin — who were charged with membership in a terrorist organization. Süzen was subsequently acquitted at a January 2026 hearing.

A fifth İHD member, İsmail Boyraz, was investigated on accusations of participating in an unlawful assembly after taking part in a teachers’ union protest. The rapporteurs also cited the case of lawyer Sabri Güngen, who was allegedly assaulted by police while meeting with a client.

The rapporteurs expressed concern over what they described as Turkey’s “apparent misuse” of terrorism financing laws in Onaran’s case, noting that providing small sums of money to support the basic needs of ill and financially disadvantaged prisoners, in line with prison regulations and under prison administration supervision does not constitute terrorism financing under international law. Onaran, who is undergoing cancer treatment, was released in February 2025 after his sentence was suspended for six months on health grounds.

They also warned that physical assault and intimidation reportedly faced by lawyers Bilgin, Süzen and Güngen while carrying out their professional duties may have been acts of retaliation for their human rights work.

The rapporteurs raised the same concern in a following statement on March 31, which warned that Turkey’s counterterrorism legislation is being used to criminalize legitimate rights advocacy and restrict fundamental freedoms.

The letter was signed by Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders; Gina Romero, the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Tlaleng Mofokeng, the special rapporteur on physical and mental health; Margaret Satterthwaite, the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; and Ben Saul, the special rapporteur on protection of rights and freedoms while countering terrorism.

https://ankahaber.net/haber/detay/un_warns_turkiye_says_lawyers_and_rights_defenders_systematically_targeted_307921

UN rapporteurs raise concerns over Turkey’s use of terrorism laws against rights defenders

Uganda to follow bad example with foreign agent law?

April 28, 2026

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on 27 April, 2026 warned that a new bill before Uganda’s parliament could be used to shut down civil society and has compared it to a similar Russian foreign agents law. HRW warns that this bill threatens to limit freedom of speech and assembly.

Bill 13, the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, was introduced on April 15 for its first reading. The bill criminalizes activity that promotes “the interests of a foreigner against the interests of Uganda.” Its broad provisions include prohibiting carrying out activities “related to the implementation of Government policy,” and receiving money to organize meetings about foreign policy. Violators can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

To avoid the consequences of the bill, you would need to register as a foreign agent through a yet undefined process. Doing so would permit the Internal Affairs Ministry to inspect the agent’s “premises” without a court order.

Senior Africa researcher at HRW, Oryem Nyeko, said that:

The Protection of Sovereignty Bill is the latest example of the government’s efforts to stifle dissent and inhibit political or social organizing and participation. The proposed bill copies a repressive tool used by other abusive governments to crush exercise of rights and stigmatize human rights defenders, independent media and other dissenting voices.

The new legislation comes following an election which saw the government crackdown on opposition parties. In the lead-up to the January elections in Uganda, an internet shutdown was imposed, which HRW claims violated fundamental rights and election integrity. Furthermore, on January 8th, the director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance and a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration, Sarah Bireete, was arrested and charged with unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data. Finally, Ugandan security forces targeted opposition rallies with excessive force, including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and beatings, leading up to the election.

The bill is similar to others passed around the world, modelled on the 2012 Russian foreign agents law. In 2024, the Georgian parliament enacted its law, On Transparency of Foreign Influence, despite wide scale protest against the bill. Kyrgyzstan and El Salvador both passed legislation which have been criticized by human rights organizations. A similar law has also been proposed in Hungary. See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/foreign-agent-law/

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/04/hrw-condemns-a-proposed-bill-in-uganda-criminalizing-foreign-agents/

Posted in HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: foreign agent law, funding restrictions, Human Rights Watch, Oryem Nyeko, Sarah Bireete, Uganda

France reverses decision and grants visa to Palestinian human rights defender Shawan Jabarin

April 21, 2026

France has reversed its earlier decision and granted a national visa to Palestinian human rights activist Shawan Jabarin, following criticism from European lawmakers, a French MP said on Monday. Jabarin, director of the West Bank-based rights group Al-Haq, had previously been denied entry by French authorities despite being invited to attend a session of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee in Strasbourg.

“I take note that France has finally reversed its decision by granting a national visa to Shawan Jabarin,” French Green MEP Mounir Satouri said on the US social media company X Satouri called for full transparency over the initial refusal, urging authorities to clarify the reasons behind the blockage and to lift all remaining obstacles to issuing a Schengen visa.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawan_Jabarin and also https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/dc85d276-1bd7-4914-92f0-2d98f14fb05b

The initial refusal drew strong criticism from seven international NGOs, including Amnesty International, HRW and the International Federation for Human Rights, which described the move as “a clear attack” on human rights and a “worrying setback.” https://www.amnesty.org.au/france-decision-to-deny-entry-to-veteran-palestinian-human-rights-defender-a-blatant-assault-on-human-rights/

In a joint statement, the groups said the last-minute visa denial prevented Jabarin from attending meetings with the French Parliament, civil society organizations, and the Foreign Ministry, restricting his work as a human rights defender.

Al-Haq had earlier said the rejection undermined efforts to advocate for Palestinian rights and accountability, particularly amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza, warning that restricting access for rights defenders contributes to impunity.

https://aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-reverses-decision-grants-visa-to-palestinian-activist-after-criticism-says-french-mp/3912391

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/04/17/france-denial-of-entry-to-palestinian-activist-blocks-advocacy

Posted in HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, Council of Europe, FIDH, France, HRW, Human rights defender, Mounir Satouri, Palestinian, Shawan Jabarin, visa denial

Cuba: Human Rights Watch claims none of those released were political prisoners

April 18, 2026

Human Rights Watch said on 9 April 2026 that Cuba‘s recent pardon of more than 2,000 inmates did not include political prisoners, reinforcing earlier concerns raised by other rights groups that the measure would exclude detainees jailed for dissent.

The Cuban government announced during Holy Week that it would pardon 2,010 prisoners, describing the move as a “humanitarian and sovereign gesture” tied to religious observances. Officials said the release would prioritize groups such as young people, older adults, women and foreigners, based on criteria including health conditions and time served, but did not disclose the identities of those freed.

Human Rights Watch’s assessment, reported by Bloomberg, confirmed that none of those released were among the more than 1,200 political prisoners documented on the island. The finding adds weight to reports published days earlier by organizations including the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, Prisoners Defenders and Cubalex, which had already said they found no evidence that political detainees were included in the pardon.

Those groups had warned that the measure appeared to benefit common prisoners while leaving untouched cases tied to political repression. “It’s a propaganda exercise,” Javier Larrondo, president of Prisoners Defenders, said at the time, arguing that Cuban authorities have historically used releases of common inmates to inflate figures associated with political concessions.

https://www.latintimes.com/human-rights-watchdog-confirms-political-prisoners-excluded-cubas-2000-inmate-pardon-596470

At the same time Human Rights Organizations Call on Congress: Do Not Send Cubans Fleeing Impacts of the U.S. Fuel Blockade to Guantánamo

Published April 10, 2026

Human Rights Organizations Call on Congress: Do Not Send Cubans Fleeing Impacts of the U.S. Fuel Blockade to Guantánamo

Posted in HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Cuba, Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, Guantánamo, HRW, Human Rights Defenders, Javier Larrondo, migrants, political prisoner, propaganda, release, USA

HRF/HRW Webinar on Egypt’s repressive practices re the Egyptian diaspora in America – 1 May 2026

April 16, 2026

Join Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch for a briefing on Egypt’s repressive practices and the impact on the Egyptian diaspora in America.

Date & Time :May 1, 2026 09:30 AM ET

A highlight will be Human Rights First’s work on El Sammak v. Egypt, a case brought on behalf of two American brothers—one a minor—who were violently assaulted by Egyptian security agents outside and inside Egypt’s Mission to the United Nations in New York City in retaliation for a protest by their friend.

In the briefing, the NGOs will explore:

The rise of transnational repression.

Broader patterns and risks.

How to defend rights on U.S. soil.

Opportunities for support.

Register to join the briefing

Posted in HRF, HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Egypt, El Sammak v. Egypt, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, repression, transnational represion, USA, webinar

Human rights lawyer Xie Yang sentenced to five years in prison in China

March 25, 2026

A court in China sentenced the prominent human rights lawyer Xie Yang to five years in prison on March 23, 2026, on politically motivated charges of “inciting subversion of state power,” Human Rights Watch said on 24 March 2026. The Chinese government should immediately quash the conviction, which followed serious procedural violations and years of persecution, and free Xie unconditionally

The Changsha Intermediate People’s Court cited several of Xie’s WeChat posts as the basis for the verdict, Xie’s former wife, Chen Guiqiu, posted on social media. The court also ordered the confiscation of 100,000 yuan (US$14,500).

“The Chinese authorities’ prosecution of Xie Yang and the court’s harsh sentence reflects Beijing’s utter contempt for the rule of law,” said Maya Wang, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This case not only aimed to persecute a brave human rights lawyer like Xie, but to intimidate all lawyers seeking to protect Chinese people’s rights.”

The legal proceedings against Xie were marred by serious violations of due process protections, Chen said. The authorities extended his pretrial detention 13 times for a total of over four years and barred his lawyers from participating in his hearings. Xie’s October 2025 trial was held in secret, police only told his family afterward. [see also https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2025/02/11/joint-civil-society-statement-on-the-fifth-anniversary-of-the-xiamen-gathering-crackdown/]

Xie’s trial violated the right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial court as provided under international human rights law, Human Rights Watch said. In addition, the proceedings violated China’s Criminal Procedural Law, which guarantees a right to a defense (articles 33-35), public trial hearings (article 188), and time limits for a criminal investigation. With time served, Xie’s sentence is expected to go to January 2027.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has recognized Xie’s detention as arbitrary and called for his immediate release.

Xie, 54, from Changsha, Hunan province, began practicing law in 2011. He has defended activists and victims of rights abuses in politically sensitive cases, including cases of religious persecution and land rights disputes.

Xie has faced repeated retaliation for his work. In July 2015, during the nationwide arrests of human rights lawyers known as the “709 crackdown,” Xie was tortured and subjected to enforced disappearance, convicted of “inciting subversion,” and imprisoned until 2017.

The authorities detained him again in January 2022 after he pressed for the release of a young teacher who had been forcibly committed to a psychiatric facility for criticizing censorship in education. Police raided Xie’s home, tortured him in custody, and held him on charges of “inciting subversion” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” said the US-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

“Foreign governments should continue to speak out for human rights lawyers like Xie Yang because this kind of support is most important when the circumstances are so dire,” Wang said. “Vocal international support could improve Xie’s treatment, and crucially, help give him and others in China the strength to persevere.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2637445/world

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/23/china-prominent-rights-lawyer-sentenced-to-5-years

https://safeguarddefenders.com/en/blog/5-years-tortured-chinese-rights-lawyer

Posted in HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: China, fair trial, HRW, Human rights defender, human rights lawyer, Maya Wang, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Xie Yang

Kashmiri journalist Irfan Meraj three years detained

March 23, 2026

Srinagar: A coalition of international human rights organizations has called for the immediate release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Meraj, three years after his arrest by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).

According to Kashmir Media Service, nearly three dozen human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Meraj’s continued detention is based on charges they believe are politically motivated and linked to his work documenting human rights issues in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The organizations said that the case reflects growing pressure on journalists and researchers working on sensitive issues in the territory. The advocacy groups highlighted the detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), who has been held since 2021. Investigators previously described Mehaj as an associate of Parvez, a fact that rights organizations say forms part of the basis for the charges against him.

The coalition urged the Indian government to end what they described as reprisals against journalists and human rights defenders in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to reconsider laws that allow extended detention without trial. They also criticized the Modi-led Indian government for failing to respond to several inquiries previously raised by UN human rights experts regarding alleged violations in the region.

The groups called on the international community to monitor the situation closely and encourage greater protection for journalists and civil society organizations, stating that continued attention from international institutions may be necessary to ensure that press freedom and basic civil liberties are upheld in the territory.

Meraj was arrested in March 2023 during an investigation conducted by India’s National Investigation Agency for uploading posts on brutalities of Indian forces in the territory.

https://kmsnews.org/kms/2026/03/22/global-rights-groups-urge-release-of-kashmiri-journalist-rights-defender.html

Posted in Amnesty international, HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, CPJ, detention, HRW, Human Rights Defenders, India, Irfan Meraj, journalism, Kashmir, Khurram Parvez

Acid Attack Against Human Rights Defender Andrie Yunus in Indonesia

March 14, 2026

Front Line, Amnesty International, Forum Asia and several newspapers reported on this shocking event: On the evening of 12 March 2026, human rights defender Andrie Yunus became the victim of a targeted acid attack by two unidentified perpetrators in Central Jakarta. The human rights defender sustained severe chemical burns, including on his hands, face, chest, and eyes. The attack occurred immediately after Andrie Yunus participated in a podcast on ‘Remilitarism and Judicial Review in Indonesia’, a central topic of his human rights work. The human rights defender fell from his motorcycle, experiencing severe pain. He was immediately brought to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment. Medical examination confirmed burns on approximately 24% of his body.

Andrie Yunus is a human rights defender and the Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs of KontraS, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Komisi untuk Orang Hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan). Founded in 1998, it is one of Indonesia’s leading human rights organisations. KontraS monitors human rights situation in Indonesia and documents cases of enforced disappearances and state violence. Andrie Yunus was among the human rights defenders and activists who participated in the Fairmont Protest in March 2025. Since then, he has repeatedly been targeted with intimidation and harassment in connection with his human rights work. At the Fairmont Protest, Andrie Yunus was part of the efforts to oppose the revision of Indonesia’s Military Law (RUU TNI), which allows active-duty military officers to hold positions in 14 state institutions without needing to resign. The ratification of this law in March 2025 led to a significant expansion of the military into civilian and political affairs.

According to KontraS, none of Andrie Yunus’s belongings were stolen during or after the attack, indicating that robbery was not the motive. The organisation affirms that the attack was premeditated as the perpetrators selected the specific time and location immediately after Andrie Yunus’s public engagement on militarism in Indonesia. This attack has been the most severe incident in the series of intimidation attempts and violations against KontraS and its staff members. Since March 2025, KontraS’s office in Jakarta has been surveiled by unidentified persons and on multiple occasions in March and April 2025, army vehicles were observed stopping outside the office and photographing the premises.

Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the acid attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus and asserts that it was a reprisal for his legitimate and peaceful work in the promotion and protection of human rights in Indonesia. Front Line Defenders is gravely concerned that this attack forms part of a broader and escalating pattern of intimidation targeting KontraS and other human rights defenders in the country.

Moreover: Unidentified assailants ambushed Veronika Lumban Tobing in Jakarta, beating her and warning her to halt activism on corruption and indigenous land rights. This violence directly ties to her exposés on elite-driven encroachments in North Sumatra, mirroring patterns where Human Rights advocates face retaliation for public interest work.

https://impactpolicies.org/news/840/indonesias-hrd-assault-signals-free-speech-crisis-under-eit-law

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/acid-attack-against-human-rights-defender-andrie-yunus

Acid attack on human rights defender must be investigated

https://en.antaranews.com/amp/news/408402/indonesias-kontras-urges-probe-after-activist-hurt-in-acid-attack

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesian-activist-maimed-in-acid-attack-ngo-urges-probe

https://www.kompas.id/artikel/en-teror-terhadap-andrie-yunus-terindikasi-terorganisir-yusril-desak-polisi-usut-tuntas

https://forum-asia.org/andrie-yunus-attack/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=andrie-yunus-attack

https://en.tempo.co/read/2092670/andrie-yunus-case-a-test-for-indonesia-at-un-human-rights-council

https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/03/16/a-brutal-warning-shot-the-decisive-moment-for-indonesias-fragile-democracy.html

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/military-officers-arrested-over-acid-attack-on-human-rights-campaigner-andrie-yunus-in-jakarta/ar-AA1YUzcd?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1

Four members of the Indonesian Armed Forces have been arrested over an acid attack on a human rights activist in Jakarta

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/four-hunted-over-activist-acid-attack/gm-GM6FBB4DAA?gemSnapshotKey=GM6FBB4DAA-snapshot-0&uxmode=ruby

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/24/indonesia-acid-attack-against-rights-activist

Posted in Amnesty international, Front Line, HRW, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: acid attacks, Andrie Yunus, Human rights defender, impunity, Indonesia, Kontras, Reprisal, Veronika Lumban Tobing

9 March 2026: important Geneva event on transnational repression of human rights defenders

March 4, 2026

The event “Tackling the protection gap: Host States’ responsibility to prevent and respond to transnational repression” will bring together defenders and UN experts to discuss the international human rights law obligations of States in respect of transnational repression against individuals and groups within their territory, as well as the strengthening of international standards, and gaps arising from shortcomings in their implementation domestically.

Location: Geneva, Switzerland. Date: 09 March 2026. Palais des Nations, Room VIII. Time: 2:00PM – 3:00PM CET and livestreamed on ISHR’s YouTube channel.!

Research from international organisations, NGOs and academics shows that transnational repression (TNR) – acts by States and their proxies to deter, silence or punish dissent, criticism or advocacy outside their territory – is affecting a growing array of individuals and groups worldwide.^[1] With the emergence of new surveillance and communication technologies, many actors have found new avenues to silence and punish critics and opponents. The most common targets have been exiled human rights defenders and political activists, but today broader groups such as journalists, lawyers, artists, academics and ordinary members of diaspora communities are frequently targeted. See e.g.

https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/ and

https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/

Freedom House Transnational Repression dataset: https://freedomhouse.org/report/transnational-repression

Human Rights Watch, “We Will Find You” A Global Look at How Governments Repress Nationals Abroad, 2024, https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/02/22/we-will-find-you/global-look-how-governments-repress-nationals-abroad;

The immediate effect of TNR is the violation of, or constraint on the exercise of, fundamental human rights. States have obligations towards those subject to such violations taking effect within their territory. These obligations have long been recognised, but have not yet been the subject of focused discussion in relation to TNR, leaving the scope and nature of the duties of host States unclear.

This event will bring together defenders and UN experts to discuss the international human rights law obligations of States in respect of transnational repression against individuals and groups within their territory, as well as the strengthening of international standards, and gaps arising from shortcomings in their implementation domestically.

Speakers:

Sayed Ahmed al-Wadaei, Director of Advocacy, Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD)
Birgit Kainz-Labbe, Coordinator of Civic Space Unit, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights
Hélène Tigroudja, Human Rights Committee, Vice-Chair

Moderator: Raphael Viana David, International Service for Human Rights

This event is organised by ISHR and co-hosted with Human Rights Watch, Human Rights House Foundation and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

https://ishr.ch/events/tackling-the-protection-gap-host-states-responsibility-to-prevent-and-respond-to-transnational-repression

https://sovanews.tv/en/2026/04/19/freedom-house-lists-georgia-among-countries-using-transnational-repression-tactics/amp/

Posted in FIDH, Freedom House, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ben Saul, Birgit Kainz-Labbe, FIDH, Freedom House, Geneva, Georgia, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, ISHR, live streaming, Panel of Experts, Sayed Ahmed al-Wadaei, transnational represion

Tunisian authorities should immediately drop the unfounded charges and release Ahmed Souab

March 3, 2026

e465df4f-5702-47d7-81db-742d13799bef — Supporters show support for the lawyer and human rights defender, Ahmed Souab, who was arrested on terrorism-related charges, in Tunis, Tunisia, April 25, 2025. © 2025 Ons Abid/AP Photo

A Tunisian lawyer and human rights defender, Ahmed Souab, who was sentenced to prison on terrorism-related charges, will face a new trial on appeal on February 12, 2026, Human Rights Watch said. The Tunisian authorities should immediately drop the unfounded charges and release him, and stop retaliating against critics and the lawyers defending them.

Tunisian authorities prosecuted Souab, 69, for statements he made outside of court while representing defendants in a notorious case of “conspiracy against state security.” On October 31, 2025, a Tunis anti-terrorism court sentenced him to five years in prison and three years of administrative supervision. His trial lasted just minutes; Souab was not present, and journalists were reportedly barred from attending.

“Ahmed Souab, a lawyer, former administrative judge, and fierce advocate for judicial independence, is behind bars simply for his defense work and outspoken views,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “His abusive prosecution for defending others from abusive prosecution shows the sheer extent of the Tunisian authorities’ crackdown on any dissent.”

Anti-terrorism agents arrested Souab in his home on April 21, following comments he made after the “conspiracy case” verdict on April 19. That day, 37 people, including lawyers, activists, and opponents, were sentenced after a sham trial for terrorism and security-related offenses to prison terms ranging from 4 to 66 years.

Standing outside the headquarters of Tunis Bar Association, Souab reportedly said: “It seems that it is not the detainees who have a knife turned on them, but rather, it’s the president of the chamber who has a knife [at his throat].” Video excerpts of his statement circulated widely on social media. Souab’s defense committee explained that he was referring to pressure exerted on judges.

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 attacks have severely undermined the rule of law, allowed the executive to weaponize the judiciary for political ends, and jeopardized Tunisians’ right to a fair trial, Human Rights Watch said.

The Tunisian authorities are increasingly relying on remote trials for terrorism cases, especially for politically motivated trials against dissidents. The practice of remote trial by video is inherently abusive, including by undermining detainees’ right to be brought physically before a judge to assess their well-being and the legality and conditions of their detention.

On October 31, Souab was convicted of “endangering the lives of people entitled to protection by deliberately disclosing information that could reveal their identities” and of “making threats in connection with a terrorist offense,” his family told Human Rights Watch.

Souab’s family said he has a history of cardiac conditions and experienced a deterioration in his health in prison. He has suffered several nosebleeds, the cause of which was not determined, they said.

Over the past three years, the authorities have increasingly relied on an aggressive legal toolbox, including unfounded security and terrorism charges under the penal code and 2015 Counterterrorism Law, to target critics and lawyers with judicial harassment, abusive criminal prosecution, arbitrary detention, and travel bans for the legitimate exercise of their profession. see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/tunisia/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/10/tunisia-prominent-lawyer-arbitrarily-detained

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/12/tunisia-suspends-rights-groups-that-shaped-its-democracy

Posted in HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Ahmed Souab, anti terrorism legislation, Bassam Khawaja, fair trial, HRW, Human rights defender, Independence of Lawyers, Tunisia

Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards