On July 12, 2024, the Criminal Division of the Ben Arous Court of First Instance handed down a controversial verdict in the tragic case of the death of Omar Laabidi, a young Club Africain supporter. Twelve security guards were given suspended one-year prison sentences for manslaughter, while two others were dismissed. The verdict, seen by many as excessively lenient, sparked a wave of indignation and discontent among human rights activists, soccer fans and Omar Laabidi's family.
Omar Laabidi, aged 19, drowned in a wadi near Radès stadium on March 31, 2018, after trying to escape scuffles between fans and police. According to witnesses, police officers left him to drown in the water while shouting "Learn to swim" at him, a phrase that quickly became a viral hashtag #t3allem3oum # , symbolizing the fight against police impunity in Tunisia.
Omar Laabidi's family and their lawyers had decided to appeal the first verdict, hoping to obtain fairer justice for Omar. The court's decision to reduce the initial two-year prison sentence to a one-year suspended sentence was strongly criticized. Toumi Ben Farhat, lawyer for the Laabidi family, expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the verdict, which he saw as yet another demonstration of impunity on the part of the security forces. Numerous associations and human rights organizations have also denounced this decision, claiming that it does not do justice to the seriousness of the facts.
The president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, Bassem Trifi, had already stated that the police officers should have been charged with failure to provide assistance to a person in danger, which would have resulted in a harsher sentence. Amnesty International had already pointed the finger at the "fundamental shortcomings" of the Tunisian judicial system, highlighting the absence of accountability for violations involving the forces of law and order.
Members of civil society and those close to Omar Laabidi denounced a biased justice system and a verdict that did not reflect the seriousness of the act. Prior to the appeal, demonstrations took place, bringing together activists and young people from working-class neighborhoods, all calling for real justice and an end to impunity.
In a hard-hitting joint statement, the Ultras (supporters) of three of the capital's soccer clubs denounced the court's verdict, calling the Tunisian justice system "justice tainted with innocent blood" for imposing a one-year suspended sentence on the police officers responsible for the death of Omar Laabidi. They severely criticized the judge, accused of corruption and conflict of interest, whose husband is a police executive. The ultras proclaim that this decision only strengthens their determination to fight against the oppression of the Tunisian police regime, stressing the need for genuine justice for Omar Laabidi.
This case remains a poignant symbol of the persistent challenges to human rights and police impunity in Tunisia.
The CRLDHT continues to support the Laabidi family and to campaign for justice and accountability in this case. We urge the Tunisian authorities to guarantee impartial investigations and ensure that such acts do not go unpunished, in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
