Sihem Ben Sedrine continues to stand her ground, with remarkable dignity and determination, against a judicial system that seems determined to give her no respite. After devoting much of her life to press freedom, human rights, and the fight against dictatorship, the former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD) is now being prosecuted, convicted, and continually brought before the courts for actions she took while carrying out her duties.
On September 21, 2026, she was scheduled to appear before the criminal chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance. The case concerns an arbitration decision issued by the IVD in favor of businessman Lazhar Sta. The hearing was postponed to October 1. Sihem Ben Sedrine appeared in court as a free person; Khaled Krichi, a former member of the IVD and chair of its arbitration and reconciliation commission, was brought from prison to appear with her. The case was again postponed until October 12.
This new proceeding is part of a series of legal actions targeting her work as head of the IVD, an institution created to uncover the truth about past violations, bring justice to victims, and combat impunity. On June 26, 2026, she was sentenced to a total of twenty-five years in prison in two cases related to the Commission’s work and the Franco-Tunisian Bank case. She remains free pending appeal but lives under the constant threat of being returned to prison and is subject to a travel ban.
In addition to these convictions, there are several other proceedings underway. What is at stake, therefore, goes beyond Sihem Ben Sedrine’s personal fate. Through her, it is the work of the IVD that is being put on trial; it is the decisions made collectively by its institutions that are being treated as individual wrongdoings; it is the very meaning of transitional justice that is under attack.
A decision can be challenged, debated, and subjected to legal review. But we cannot accept that the judicial system be used to turn the choices, decisions, and investigations carried out within the legal framework of a public institution charged with upholding truth and dignity into “crimes.” When those who have worked to document violations, hear from victims, and determine accountability become targets themselves, the message is chilling: we must now give up on seeking the truth.
In the face of this political cowardice and judicial cruelty, Sihem Ben Sedrine stands firm with courage, steadfastness, and loyalty to her convictions. She refuses to remain silent, to renounce her journey, or to accept that the work accomplished by thousands of victims, witnesses, and transitional justice actors be erased.
We express our full solidarity with her. We demand her acquittal in the cases still pending, the overturning of the convictions handed down against her, and the immediate halt of all proceedings initiated as a result of her legitimate actions as head of the IVD. The justice system must not be used to punish those who sought the truth; it must protect their rights, guarantee a fair trial, and preserve the memory of the victims.
