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.
A final appellate judgment sentenced Chaïma Issa to twenty years in prison on terrorism-related charges in Tunisia.HuMENA Editorial
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.
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.
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.
No information is currently available regarding the facility where Chaïma is held, her conditions of detention, or her physical and mental health.
No documented international advocacy or intervention on behalf of Chaïma Issa has yet entered the public record.
This case file was compiled by HuMENA's Tunisia research team from primary documentation, public filings, family-supplied legal documents, and confidential partner reporting. Editorial responsibility rests with the HuMENA Editorial Board. Where dates or facts are uncertain, the record errs on the side of the source material and notes uncertainty in the live archive at humena.org.
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