CHAIMA
ISSA)
Chaïma Issa was sentenced to twenty years in prison by a Tunisian Court of Appeal on charges of conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group.
- Country
- Tunisia
- Role
- Journalist
- Arrested
- 1 Jan 2025
- Sentence
- Twenty years in prison.
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Held without verdict for
521 days.
Days in pre-trial detention since the morning of 1 January 2025. Counter live · updates daily at 00:00 UTC
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Arrest
Arrest in Tunisia
Chaïma Issa was arrested in Tunisia and charged with conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group.
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Verdict
Court of Appeal final judgment
The Court of Appeal rendered a final judgment sentencing Chaïma Issa to twenty years of criminal imprisonment.
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Verdict
First-instance "Conspiracy Case" verdict: 18 years in prison
On 19 April 2025, the Tunis First Instance Court sentenced Chaima Issa — a senior member of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition — to 18 years in prison in the "Conspiracy Case" against 37 opposition figures, lawyers and activists. She appealed while remaining at liberty. Sources: Wikipedia, HRW, Amnesty.
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Verdict
Appeal court increases sentence to 20 years
On 28 November 2025, the Criminal Chamber specialized in terrorism cases at the Court of Appeal issued a new ruling sentencing Chaima Issa to 20 years' imprisonment in the "Conspiracy Case." Tunisia handed prison terms between 5 and 45 years to 40 opposition leaders, business and media figures in this trial, which rights groups condemned as politically motivated. Sources: HRW, US News, Amnesty.
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Arrest
Arrested at protest in Tunis to enforce 20-year sentence; begins hunger strike
On 29 November 2025, Tunisian police arrested Chaima Issa during her participation in a protest in Tunis, to enforce the 20-year prison sentence issued against her the previous day. Issa was transferred to Manouba prison near Tunis, where she began a hunger strike the same day. Her family told Human Rights Watch that her foot was injured during the arrest. Sources: Al Jazeera, HRW, Washington Times.
Approved
The arrest, and what followed.
The Arrest
Chaïma Issa was arrested in Tunisia in January 2025. She was charged with conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group, offences that fall under Tunisia's 2015 anti-terrorism law and related provisions of the criminal code.
Legal Proceedings
The case proceeded to the Court of Appeal, which rendered a final judgment sentencing Chaïma to twenty years of criminal imprisonment. The finality of the appellate decision forecloses ordinary domestic remedies, leaving only extraordinary review or presidential pardon as potential avenues for relief.
Tunisia's anti-terrorism legislation, adopted in the wake of attacks in 2015, has been widely criticized by human rights organizations for its overbroad definitions and its application in cases involving political dissent, journalism, and social-media commentary. The law permits extended pre-trial detention, restricts the right to bail, and allows convictions based on evidence that would not meet fair-trial standards under international law.
Detention Conditions and Health
No information is currently available regarding the facility where Chaïma is held, her conditions of detention, or her physical and mental health.
International Response
No documented international advocacy or intervention on behalf of Chaïma Issa has yet entered the public record.
Sources on file with HuMENA EditorialReading time · 6 minutes
A final appellate judgment sentenced Chaïma Issa to twenty years in prison on terrorism-related charges in Tunisia.HuMENA Editorial · 2026
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Compiled by HuMENA's Tunisia research team from primary documentation, public filings, family-supplied legal documents, and confidential partner reporting. Editorial responsibility: HuMENA Editorial Board.
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