We stand in solidarity with Saâdia Mosbah, President of the association Mnemty, and with her colleagues facing prosecution. We denounce the growing criminalisation of human rights defenders, civil society organisations, and humanitarian actors in Tunisia.
Saâdia Mosbah, a leading figure in the fight against racism and discrimination in Tunisia and President of Mnemty, has been detained since May 2024. Her arrest forms part of a deliberate campaign by the Tunisian authorities to criminalise associations, human rights defenders, and humanitarian organisations providing assistance to vulnerable populations. This trend is accompanied by political rhetoric openly hostile to independent civil society and to those working to protect human dignity and fundamental rights.
The only member of the group to remain in detention, Saâdia has been deprived of her liberty for more than two years, including approximately twenty-two months in pre-trial detention, from May 2024 to March 2026. This far exceeds the fourteen-month legal limit established under Tunisian law. Such prolonged detention constitutes a clear violation of the right to be tried within a reasonable time, as guaranteed by Article 9(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
On 19 March 2026, Saâdia was sentenced in first instance to eight years’ imprisonment, stripped of her civil rights for five years, fined 120,000 Tunisian dinars (approximately €35,000), and subjected to the confiscation of her assets, including her phone, computer, and pension, which has been frozen since May 2024 despite being protected by law. She is currently awaiting the outcome of her appeal. Five other members and collaborators of Mnemty were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to three years. Four of them, who remain in Tunisia, face imminent arrest should the convictions be upheld on appeal.
In support of Saâdia Mosbah and Mnemty, the NGO Protect Humanitarians has launched an international petition calling for her immediate and unconditional release and denouncing the increasing criminalisation of human rights defenders and humanitarian organisations. Mnemty, a human rights and anti-discrimination association, is being prosecuted under Tunisia’s Anti-Terrorism Law No. 2015-26 and anti-money laundering legislation, despite the absence of any valid basis for their application in this case. The misuse of these laws to criminalise ordinary civil society activities constitutes a serious violation of the rule of law. In their joint communication of 14 August 2025 to the Tunisian government, United Nations Special Rapporteurs expressed deep concern regarding the prosecution of Saâdia Mosbah and other defenders of migrants’ rights and anti-racist activists. These proceedings take place within a broader context of escalating repression against civil society in Tunisia.
The instrumentalisation of anti-terrorism legislation against civil society violates international human rights standards and undermines the principles protecting humanitarian action and assistance to vulnerable populations. In his March 2024 report to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism recalled that the misuse of anti-terrorism laws against human rights defenders and associations violates the freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. He further stressed that anti-money laundering measures must not obstruct legitimate non-profit activities or humanitarian assistance.
The undersigned organisations also condemn the security-driven approach that dominates migration management in Tunisia and across the region. This approach criminalises anti-racist activists and those who show solidarity with all victims of racism, including migrants and Black Tunisians. The criminalisation of Mnemty’s activities is particularly alarming given that the organisation operates, among other frameworks, under Law No. 2018-50 on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. Rather than implementing this legislation, the authorities deny the existence of racism and repress those who combat it, in direct contradiction to the principles of solidarity and human rights protection. Equating assistance to vulnerable people with criminal activity seriously undermines the ability of civil society organisations to fulfil their legitimate mission and creates a climate of intimidation incompatible with Tunisia’s international obligations.
Beyond this specific case, the prevailing racist discourse—fuelled by political narratives portraying migrants as a threat—constitutes the environment in which Mnemty operates and in which its members are now being prosecuted and convicted. We warn against the danger posed by the normalisation of such discourse and practices for the protection of fundamental rights as a whole.
We call for:
- The immediate and unconditional release of Saâdia Mosbah;
- The dropping of all charges against members of Mnemty;
- An end to the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation against civil society organisations, human rights defenders, and humanitarian actors providing legitimate assistance to vulnerable populations;
- An end to hate speech and policies targeting migrants who are victims of racism, as well as those who defend their rights;
- Respect for international human rights law and Tunisia’s international commitments, particularly regarding the protection of people on the move, non-discrimination, human dignity, access to protection, and safeguards against arbitrary detention, collective expulsions, and all other human rights violations.
Signatories
- Protect Humanitarians
- Amnesty International
- Avocats Sans Frontières
- EuroMed Rights
- Legal Action Worldwide
- Minority Rights Group
- Protect Humanitarian
- World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
