SALWA
GHRISSA

Background and Work

Salwa Ghrissa is a Tunisian human rights defender affiliated with the Association pour la Promotion du Droit à la Différence, an organization focused on social inclusion, the protection of marginalized and vulnerable groups, and the promotion of the right to difference. Through peaceful advocacy, community initiatives, and human rights awareness, she worked to defend fundamental freedoms and challenge systemic discrimination in Tunisia.

The Arrest

On 9 December 2024, Ghrissa was summoned by the Economic and Financial Investigations Sub-Directorate in El Gorjani for questioning regarding alleged financial transactions with foreign entities. After an initial interrogation, she was released.

The following day, 10 December 2024, she was summoned again for a second interrogation and placed in police custody for 48 hours at the Bouchoucha detention center.

On 12 December 2024, Ghrissa was brought before the Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance of Bizerte. A judicial investigation was opened and assigned to an investigating judge. Following her hearing before the investigating judge, a pretrial detention order was issued, and she was immediately transferred to Manouba Civil Prison, where she remains detained.

Detention Conditions and Health

According to her sister, Ghrissa was initially held in a cell measuring approximately fifty square meters, housing nearly a hundred detainees. Three women shared a single bed; others slept on mattresses placed directly on the floor. Detainees were permitted one shower per week, and access to the prison commissary was severely restricted.

Though Ghrissa was later moved to a less overcrowded cell, her sister reports that she continues to suffer profoundly, both physically and psychologically. Her sister emphasized that one does not adapt to injustice.

Legal Proceedings

Ghrissa has been charged in connection with alleged financial transfers from what authorities describe as "suspicious and dubious foreign organizations." Her legal defense team, including lawyers Rania Zaghdoudi and Anas Kaddoussi, notes that her case follows a broader pattern of pressure on civil society organizations in Tunisia, where charges frequently include tax evasion, money laundering, and misappropriation of funds.

Standard judicial practice in financial cases requires the appointment of an independent forensic accounting expert before the closure of investigations. In Ghrissa's case, this procedural safeguard was disregarded. No independent accountant was appointed; instead, the financial brigade itself examined the accounts. Her lawyers describe the investigation as rushed and irregular, undermining guarantees of impartiality and due process.

Article 85 of the Tunisian Code of Criminal Procedure strictly regulates pretrial detention as an exceptional measure, permitting only one extension of up to three months for misdemeanors and two extensions of up to four months each for felonies, subject to judicial justification. Ghrissa's prolonged detention exceeds these limits without sufficient legal reasoning, constituting a breach of domestic law.

Article 35 of the 2022 Tunisian Constitution guarantees that no person shall be arrested or detained except in cases of flagrant crime or pursuant to a lawful judicial order, and ensures the right to be informed promptly of charges, to legal counsel, and to procedural safeguards. The lack of transparency in Ghrissa's case contravenes these constitutional protections.

International Standards

Tunisia is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees protection against arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to a fair and timely trial, and the rights to freedom of expression and association—rights central to the work of human rights defenders. Ghrissa's detention appears directly linked to her peaceful civil society activities.

The conditions described raise serious concerns under the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), particularly regarding overcrowding, sanitation, access to basic services, and respect for human dignity.

The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders obligates States to protect individuals who promote and defend human rights. The arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Salwa Ghrissa represent a breach of these obligations and contribute to a chilling effect on civic space in Tunisia.