In a significant development, six humanitarian workers from the Tunisian branch of the French non-governmental organization (NGO) Terre d’Asile, who were on trial for assisting migrants, have been released from prison. The release, which occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday, was confirmed by the support committee of one of the detainees. The workers had been facing charges for allegedly facilitating the illegal entry and residence of migrants.
The defendants, including former director of the NGO Sherifa Riahi, had been imprisoned for over 20 months. Their lawyers argued that they were providing aid to asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants as part of a program approved by the Tunisian government. According to the lawyers, the program was designed to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, and the workers were simply carrying out their duties.
The court handed down a two-year suspended prison sentence to the detained defendants, including Riahi. Lawyer Mahmoud Daoud Yaacoub, a member of Riahi’s defense team, stated that the remaining aspects of the ruling concerning the defendants who are free would be announced the following day. In addition to the NGO workers, 17 members of the municipal council of the eastern Tunisian city of Sousse are also facing charges for allegedly allowing the NGO to use municipal premises.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges faced by humanitarian workers in Tunisia, who often find themselves caught between their duty to provide aid and the country’s laws regulating migration. The release of the workers is seen as a positive development, but the suspended sentence and ongoing proceedings against other defendants highlight the complexities and uncertainties surrounding the issue. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the Tunisian authorities will balance their obligations to protect migrants with their need to enforce immigration laws. The outcome of the case is likely to have significant implications for the work of humanitarian organizations in the region.
