Sihem Ben Sedrine Released After 202 Days in Detention

Sihem Ben Sedrine, a human rights advocate, former political prisoner under Ben Ali, and president of the Truth and Dignity Commission (Instance Vérité et Dignité - IVD) - in charge of the complex process in Tunisia - was released on Tuesday, February 19, 2025, after 202 days in detention.

Smiling broadly, Sihem Ben Sedrine was greeted by relatives and supporters outside Manouba Women's Prison, where she had held since August 1, 2024, following a legal saga that escalated abruptly in March 2023 amid a growing clampdown on political activists and civil society..

Her arrest was based on charges of "unjustified procurement of benefits", "harming the State", and "falsifying" the IVD's final report. These proceeding not only endagered the publication of this key document for Tunisia's transitional justice but also threatened to bury for good this critical process of democratic transition—abruptly halted on July 25, 2021, by President Saied.

Throughout her detention, Sihem Ben Sedrine, along with her defense team, family, and supporters, persistently proclaimed her innocence and denounced a flagrant injustice. In protest, she launched an a hunger strike on January 14, 2025- on the anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution. Her health deteriorated rapidly, forcing her hospitalisation in critical condition before she suspended her strike on January 30, 2025. Her courage and determination, combined with her legal committee's titreless efforts and broad civil society mobilisation, sparked a powerful wave of solidarity. Numerous international voices—including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), several UN Special Rapporteurs, the European Union, and members of the European Parliament—spoke out in favor of her release.

This strong collective pressure ultimately secured her release, signaling that hope in Tunisia is not yeat lost . Nevertheless, she remains subject to a travel ban, immediately condemned by civil society, which demands that all charges against her be dropped in full.

Her release stands as a decisive victory for her personally, for transitional justice, and for all human rights defenders and civil society actors in Tunisia. However, the struggle to restore the rule of law, judicial independence, and fundamental freedoms is far from overMany activists—particularly women—journalists, lawyers, and civil society leaders remain in prison. Together with our partners and legal representatives, we continue our efforts to see them reunited with their loved ones so they can freely contribute to building a democratic Tunisian state.