Tunisian authorities have released six humanitarian workers who were on trial for allegedly helping migrants, ending more than 20 months of detention for some of the accused, according to their lawyers and support committees. The group, all linked to the Tunisian branch of the French NGO Terre d’Asile, had been charged with “facilitating the illegal entry and residence” of migrants. Their legal teams argue the workers were carrying out humanitarian assistance for asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants under a programme that had been authorized by the Tunisian state.
Among those released was Sherifa Riahi, the former director of the NGO, who had been held in custody since 2023. Footage shared on social media showed her leaving prison late Monday, with confirmation that her colleagues were also freed. Defense lawyer Mahmoud Daoud Yaacoub explained that the court handed down a two-year suspended prison sentence to the detained defendants, including Riahi. He said further details of the ruling, including decisions affecting defendants who were not in custody, were expected to be announced later.
The case also involves 17 members of the municipal council of Sousse, in eastern Tunisia, who are accused of allowing the NGO to use municipal facilities. The trial has drawn criticism from rights groups, who say it reflects increasing pressure on civil society organizations working with migrants amid Tunisia’s hardline stance on migration in recent years.
