For the release of activist Saadia Mosbah

And against the normalization of hate speech, racism, and discrimination within institutions

In recent years, Tunisia has experienced a worrying rise in hate speech, racism, and xenophobia, accompanied by campaigns of incitement, defamation, and targeting of human rights defenders and the most vulnerable groups. In many cases, this climate has led to a social permissiveness that facilitates violations, weakens protection, and opens the door to impunity.

In this context, we are following with great concern the case of Ms. Saadia Mosbah, a human rights defender and president of the Manamti Association, who has been unjustly deprived of her liberty since May 6, 2024. Her situation is marked by serious health and humanitarian concerns, in addition to the harassment and discriminatory treatment she is subjected to in prison on the basis of her skin color and civic activism.

The signatories of this petition consider that what is happening cannot be isolated from a broader context, which is mainly manifested through:

• The normalization of hate speech and racial incitement in the public sphere, which legitimizes targeting and encourages verbal and moral abuse and social pressure, turning victims into legitimate targets.

• The criminalization of solidarity with migrants and the portrayal of humanitarian associations and activists as part of a conspiracy to alter the demographic makeup (“naturalization”).

• The length of detention and its serious humanitarian consequences, especially when it concerns an elderly person suffering from a chronic illness, raising concerns that deprivation of liberty is becoming a punishment that precedes any final judgment.

• The health and humanitarian situation of Ms. Saadia Mosbah (65 years old) and her family’s reports of her deteriorating physical and mental health during her detention, which makes any delay in care or additional pressure a direct threat.

• Allegations of harassment and discriminatory treatment inside the prison by some officers and inmates. These are serious allegations that affect human dignity and require urgent protection and an independent and transparent investigation to prevent impunity.

• Worrying institutional indicators: When accounts of discrimination within institutions are repeated without effective accountability, and when deterrence is absent and grievance mechanisms are weak, we are faced with a trajectory that approaches institutional racism in the practical sense: a situation that allows or tolerates discrimination within institutions that are supposed to protect everyone without distinction.

• The March 12, 2026, hearing is approaching, imposing strict guarantees for the rights of defense and attendance, and making it urgent to protect the conditions for a fair trial and prevent any pressure or harassment inside or outside the prison.

The signatories of this petition, aware of the seriousness of this course of action for the rule of law, the principle of equality, and human dignity, demand an end to all violations, abuses, and infringements. They call for:

1. The immediate release of Ms. Saadia Mosbah, or at the very least, the urgent provision of an alternative to detention that is appropriate to her age and health condition until the legal proceedings are completed.

2. A fair trial within a reasonable time, with respect for the rights of defense, presence, and notification; allowing lawyers the necessary time and facilities; and preventing any action that would render the right to defense meaningless.

3. Appropriate and immediate health care, an independent medical evaluation when necessary, and humane conditions of detention that respect the dignity of all prisoners.

4. An immediate cessation of all forms of harassment or discrimination within the prison, opening an independent and serious investigation into allegations of discriminatory and degrading treatment, taking immediate preventive measures, and assigning responsibility without hesitation.

5. Protection for Saadia Masbah’s family from threats, incitement, and defamation; investigating hate campaigns; and holding those responsible accountable under the law.

6. A call on all organizations, figures, and actors to coordinate jointly for peaceful civil action in the coming days in defense of dignity, equality, and fair trial guarantees, and in rejection of the normalization of racism within society and institutions.

Freedom for Saadia Maosbah!