Prominent Tunisian human rights activist Sihem Bensedrine has entered the ninth day of a hunger strike, calling attention to her six-month detention under charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Bensedrine, 74, was arrested in August 2024 on accusations of fraud, “gaining unfair advantages,” and forgery related to her leadership of Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD). These charges have been rejected by human rights organizations, including the United Nations, which argue they are baseless and aimed at silencing a critical voice.
Bensedrine’s hunger strike began on January 14, 2025, as she voiced her distress over the ongoing injustice. In a post on social media, she vowed to take drastic action to protest what she described as her “arbitrary” imprisonment. Human rights advocates, including Bensedrine’s lawyer Ayachi Hammami, have condemned the charges, asserting that her detention serves as part of a broader government crackdown on political dissent in Tunisia.
Since President Kais Saied’s rise to power in July 2021, Tunisia’s political environment has worsened, with significant setbacks to democracy and human rights. Saied’s consolidation of power has included undermining the independence of the judiciary and silencing opposition figures, including journalists, activists, and political opponents. Bensedrine’s case is seen as a clear example of this pattern.
Bensedrine, a veteran human rights advocate, led the IVD from 2014 to 2018, a body tasked with addressing past abuses under previous regimes. However, since her term ended, many of the commission’s findings and recommendations, including accountability for human rights violations, have gone unaddressed. Critics, including the Tunisian Civil Coalition for the Defense of Transitional Justice, say that the country’s promises of transitional justice remain unfulfilled.
Human Rights Watch has labeled Bensedrine’s detention as “retaliatory,” arguing that it is tied to her work as a human rights defender. The UN has also expressed concerns, suggesting her arrest may be aimed at discrediting the IVD’s report on corruption and abuses.
Bensedrine’s hunger strike has drawn international attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia. While she remains in critical health, with reports indicating signs of severe exhaustion, her actions have spurred calls for her release and for greater international pressure on Tunisia’s government to uphold human rights standards. The ongoing case of Sihem Bensedrine exemplifies the broader struggles of activists in Tunisia, where the once-promising gains of the Arab Spring are now under serious threat.
