In the most recent urgent action letter, the TRU Students’ Union wrote to President Kais Saied of Tunisia, urging the immediate and unconditional release of human rights lawyer Ahmed Souab. The letter calls on Tunisian authorities to protect Souab’s physical, psychological, and legal integrity and to drop all charges related to his peaceful exercise of professional and human rights advocacy.
“Participating in collective advocacy on this issue can offer protection to people who are being silenced for speaking the truth,” said Samantha Jo Haire, Equity Executive Member. “When lawyers and human rights defenders are punished for doing their jobs, it sends a chilling message and its important to push back against that.”
Ahmed Souab is a prominent Tunisian lawyer and human rights defender who has represented political detainees and publicly spoken out against violations of due process. He was arrested on April 21, 2025, following comments he made criticizing judicial procedures in Tunisia’s widely criticized “conspiracy case,” a mass prosecution targeting opposition figures, lawyers, and activists. After his arrest, Souab was held incommunicado for several days before being placed in pre-trial detention, despite no evidence that his actions constituted a criminal offence under international law.
Souab’s detention reflects a broader pattern of using counter-terrorism and national security legislation to restrict peaceful dissent in Tunisia. Since President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in 2021, authorities have increasingly relied on prolonged pre-trial detention and expansive legal interpretations to target lawyers, judges, journalists, and political opponents. These practices undermine freedom of expression, the right to a fair and independent judiciary, and the ability of legal professionals to carry out their work without intimidation or retaliation.
“What makes this case especially concerning is that it targets someone whose role is to defend the rule of law,” Haire added. “When lawyers are criminalized for advocating for due process, it undermines the justice system as a whole and puts fundamental rights at risk.”
We hope the Tunisian authorities act swiftly to uphold Tunisia’s constitutional and international human rights commitments and ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed Souab, so that lawyers and human rights defenders can carry out their work without fear of retaliation or interference.
We await a response from the President of Tunisia on this urgent matter.
For more Information
The Amnesty Urgent Actions Program allows the Union to take action regarding international human rights injustices that matter to students. Click this link to see injustices we have addressed previously, and for further information about this issue or to see a copy of the letter, contact the Equity Coordinator below.