The Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia (CRLDHT) condemns in the strongest possible terms the verdict handed down on the evening of May 21, 2026, against attorney Chawki Tabib, sentencing him to ten years in prison.
According to available information, this sentence consists of seven years in prison for charges of forgery, plus an additional three years for possession and use of documents deemed to be forged.
The CRLDHT considers this court ruling to be an extremely serious precedent and yet another example of the growing use of the Tunisian justice system for the purposes of political repression and the intimidation of independent voices.
A former president of the National Bar Association and former president of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, Mr. Chawki Tabib is a recognized leader in the defense of the rule of law, institutional independence, and the fight against corruption in Tunisia.
The CRLDHT believes that this case is seriously marred by violations of fundamental guarantees of a fair trial and the rights of the defense. In particular, it emphasizes that the chamber that rendered this judgment raises serious questions regarding the legality of its composition and that it clearly disregarded the criminal immunity attached to the office of president of the INLUCC as well as the procedural immunity associated with Mr. Chawki Tabib’s status as a lawyer. Despite the manifest weakness of the case and the absence of credible evidence justifying such a conviction, the court appears to have prioritized compliance with political directives at the expense of the principles of justice and legality. Furthermore, the irregularities noted during previous hearings—notably the failure to present Mr. Chawki Tabib despite his detention—raise serious concerns regarding compliance with Tunisian law and international standards pertaining to the right to a fair, independent, and impartial trial.
Under these circumstances, the CRLDHT believes that this conviction cannot be viewed in isolation from the general climate of authoritarian regression currently prevailing in Tunisia.
The repeated and abusive use of the judicial system against independent figures helps to create a climate of fear and intimidation, permanently undermines confidence in judicial institutions, and contributes to the gradual erosion of freedom, pluralism, and democratic participation.
The CRLDHT emphasizes that the independence of the judiciary is one of the essential foundations of any rule of law. When courts become instruments of political pressure and legal proceedings are used to silence critical voices, the rights and freedoms of society as a whole are directly threatened.
The CRLDHT believes that this verdict amounts to a personal vendetta waged by Kaïs Saïed against Bar Association President Chawki Tabib.
The CRLDHT expresses its full solidarity with Attorney Chawki Tabib, his wife Meryem, his family, his loved ones, and all Tunisian lawyers who, despite mounting pressure, continue to defend fundamental freedoms and the right to an independent judiciary.
The CRLDHT calls on the Tunisian authorities to uphold their constitutional and international human rights obligations, to guarantee the independence of the judiciary, and to put an end to the use of legal proceedings as a tool for repressing opponents, human rights defenders, and critical voices.
The CRLDHT also calls on international and regional human rights protection mechanisms, professional bar associations, European institutions, and Tunisia’s international partners to respond with the utmost vigilance to this further erosion of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the country.
Paris, May 22, 2026
