Tunisia association: Saied’s measures add 10,000 new detainees to prisons

The Association for the Prevention of Torture in Tunisia revealed an increase in the number of prisoners by about 50 per cent since President Kais Saied announced his exceptional measures in 2021.

The association issued a report several days ago monitoring the state of Tunisian prisons between 2018 and 2021, indicating that it intends to issue a new report for 2022 to 2024.

The head of the association, Fethi Jarray, described the figures related to overcrowding in prisons as “alarming”, noting that they have risen from about 22,000 prisoners during the reporting period (2018-2021) to more than 32,000 prisoners currently, in an indirect reference to the arrests of 10,000 Tunisians following the exceptional measures in July 2021.

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Jarray confirmed to Tunis News Agency that some prisons that were not previously overcrowded, such as the women’s prison in the Manuba governorate, are now overcrowded: “This negatively affects the situation of prisoners as well as prison staff.”

“The state must move towards alternative punishments such as fines and others in cases that do not deserve imprisonment,” adding that more than 60 per cent of Tunisian prisoners have sentences that are no more than one year, or even a few months in the most extreme cases.

Jarray explained: “Overcrowding in prisons is a dangerous phenomenon that negates the rights of the person deprived of liberty in all aspects, from the right to health, good food and living conditions. Imprisonment does not deprive human rights. The imprisoned person is only restricted in their freedom and must enjoy their natural rights.”

The Tunisian opposition accuses President Saied of using the judiciary to settle political scores with his opponents, which Saied denies, stressing his commitment to the independence of the judiciary.

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