Tunisian Court Hands Rights Activist Sihem Bensedrine 25-Year Prison Sentence
Tunis-A Tunisian court sentenced prominent rights activist and former Truth and Dignity Commission president Sihem Bensedrine to 25 years in prison on Friday after convicting her on charges that included falsifying part of the commission’s final report, according to Bensedrine and judicial proceedings.
Bensedrine, 75, told AFP the ruling was politically motivated and announced she would appeal the verdict.
“Of course, this is a decision that has nothing to do with justice,” Bensedrine said. “It has to do with a totalitarian regime that wants to erase the legacy of the IVD,” referring to Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission.
Prosecutors accused Bensedrine of falsifying portions of the commission’s final report, which was published in 2020 following years of investigations into human rights abuses committed under former presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Habib Bourguiba.
The Truth and Dignity Commission was established after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, which overthrew Ben Ali and marked the beginning of the country’s democratic transition. The commission documented testimony from thousands of victims of political repression and recommended institutional reforms aimed at dismantling corruption, authoritarian practices and human rights abuses within the state.
Bensedrine rejected the allegations, saying she had been targeted by officials seeking to “settle scores” and undermine the commission’s work.
The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) described the charges against Bensedrine as “groundless” and said the prosecution raised serious legal concerns, noting that Tunisian law protects commission members from being held personally liable for the contents of its reports.
The case comes amid growing international concern over Tunisia’s democratic trajectory under President Kais Saied, with several human rights organizations warning of increasing restrictions on political opposition, civil liberties and judicial independence since he consolidated executive powers.
