Prominent Tunisian rights activist Sihem Bensedrine told AFP on Friday that she had been sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges including falsifying part of a transitional justice commission’s final report. The 75-year-old former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD) said she would appeal the verdict, describing it as a decision by a “totalitarian regime that wants to erase the legacy of the IVD.”
Background on the IVD and Its Work
The now-defunct IVD was established after the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It heard testimony from thousands of victims of Ben Ali and his predecessor Habib Bourguiba. The commission’s final report, published in 2020, called for “dismantling a system of corruption, repression and dictatorship” within state institutions.
Prosecution and Allegations
Prosecutors accused Bensedrine of falsifying the commission’s final report. Bensedrine said she had been targeted by “officials who are holding the state hostage” in order to “settle scores” and “discredit our work.” The Paris-headquartered International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has said the charges against Bensedrine were “groundless” and raised “serious concerns,” noting that the law provides commission members are not to be held accountable for the contents of its reports.
Democratic Backsliding in Tunisia
Tunisia emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 as a beacon of democratic hope for the region after decades of authoritarianism, but rights groups have reported backsliding under President Kais Saied. Bensedrine’s sentencing is seen by many as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and civil society.
