The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has monitored that Tunisian authorities have detained human rights activist Salwa Grissa due to her civic activities and her prominent role in the association “Promoting the Right to Diversity.”
Salwa Grissa is a well-known human rights defender in Tunisia who has faced judicial persecution amid broad security campaigns targeting civil society activists and human rights organizations across the country.
According to the committee, Grissa was summoned on December 9, 2024, to appear before the Economic and Financial Subdivision of Investigations in El Gorjani, where she was interrogated for an entire day before being released. She was summoned again the following day for further questioning, after which authorities decided to detain her for 48 hours and transferred her to the detention center in Bouchoucha.
On December 12, 2024, Grissa was presented before the Public Prosecutor at the Bizerte Primary Court, who opened a judicial investigation into the case and referred her to an investigative judge. Following the interrogation, an arrest warrant was issued against Grissa, and she was transferred to the civil prison in Manouba, where she remains in custody.
The investigation was accompanied by a media campaign aimed at tarnishing Grissa’s reputation, as well as that of human rights defenders in general. Allegations surfaced accusing her of receiving “suspicious financial transfers,” despite the fact that the funding received by the association she manages came from legitimate international organizations, including UN-affiliated entities and NGOs that work with state institutions in compliance with the law.
CFJ” reaffirms full solidarity with Salwa Grissa and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. In the event of a trial, CFJ emphasizes the necessity of ensuring a fair and impartial process free from any political or media bias.