Press Release
CFJ has reported that the Indictment Chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld the investigative judge’s decision from the Tunis First Instance Court to extend the pretrial detention of Nour El-Dine El-Behiri, former Justice Minister and prominent member of the Ennahda movement, by an additional four months. Behiri is implicated in the case related to the death of Jilani Daboussi.
Daboussi, who had been detained since October 2011 on charges of corruption and embezzlement, passed away on May 7, 2014, shortly after his release from prison. His death sparked widespread controversy over the conditions of his detention and treatment during that period. In 2019, his family filed a complaint against the Tunisian state with the UN committee in Geneva, accusing the authorities of neglect, mistreatment, and violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Justice Minister had previously ordered an investigation into the case, focusing on allegations of premeditated murder and mistreatment. The investigative judge had also issued detention orders against several officials, including Behiri, on charges related to premeditated murder.
CFJ has criticized these legal measures, asserting that they lack legal justification and violate international fair trial standards. The committee claims that political interference is influencing the case, targeting specific individuals based on their affiliations or positions.
Expressing strong opposition to these developments, CFJ emphasizes that they contradict principles of fair trial and human rights guarantees. CFJ calls for an immediate halt to what it described as arbitrary actions that undermine the path to justice in Tunisia. The committee urges the authorities to ensure fair trials for all defendants and to refrain from using the judiciary as a tool in political disputes.
