/ / Urgent Action: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS ARBITRARILY DETAINED

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS ARBITRARILY DETAINED

UA: 54.25 Tunisia

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In early May 2024, Tunisian authorities arbitrarily arrested Sherifa Riahi, while on maternity leave nursing her newborn baby, as well as Yadh Bousselmi and Mohamed Joo – former and current staff of Terre d’Asile Tunisie, an NGO assisting refugees and migrants. Days later, they arrested Imen Ouardani, a former local official who had collaborated with the NGO. Authorities targeted them as part of a broader crackdown on civil society supporting refugees and migrants, fueled by racist and xenophobic rhetoric, and have since held them in arbitrary pretrial detention. They must immediately release them and drop all charges against them.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: November 10, 2025

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Step 1

READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION

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You can now write a letter in your own words or download the sample below as a guide. A copy of the sample has also been sent to your email address.

Remember to send your letter by November 10, 2025.

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Sample Letter

Your Excellency,

I write to you to express my grave concern over the prolonged arbitrary detention of human rights defenders – Sherifa Riahi, Yadh Bousselmi, and Mohamed Joo – from Terre d’Asile Tunisie, and Imen Ouardani – former deputy mayor of Sousse, since May 2024. The NGO is registered and operates transparently, providing essential assistance to vulnerable refugees and migrants in cooperation with local and national authorities, including the Sousse municipality.

Authorities investigated them together with three other Terre d’Asile staff for their work as well as 16 former municipality officials and employees for their collaboration with the NGO. The investigation, premised on the idea of a foreign-backed civil society conspiracy to “permanently settle” Sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia, violates their rights to freedom of association and expression, criminalizes legitimate collaboration between civil society and local authorities, and violates Tunisia’s international obligations towards refugees and migrants by hampering protection and assistance work.

Authorities have also hindered Sherifa Riahi’s children’s visits. International law and standards outline that pretrial detention must only be used when strictly necessary to prevent suspects from absconding, interfering with the investigation, or committing a serious crime.

I urge you to ensure that authorities immediately release Sherifa Riahi, Yadh Bousselmi, Mohamed Joo, and Imen Ouardani and drop all charges against them. Pending this, authorities must promptly reply to the former’s requests to meet with her children. I also call on your government to cease targeting human rights defenders solely for the exercise of their right to defend rights.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

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Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

President of the Republic Kais Saied

Route de la Goulette

Site archéologique de Carthage, Tunisie

[email protected] @TnPresidency Presidence.tn

and

CC: Tunisian Embassy in the United States, Ambassador Hanene Al-Tajouri Bessassi

Send a copy of your letter to the address below

1515 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,

Washington DC 20005

[email protected]

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