The African Court on Human and People’s Rights has ordered the Tunisian government to “eliminate all barriers” to allow detainees to “communicate with lawyers and doctors of their choice”, a report said on September 1. This came after a case was filed in May 2023 on behalf of four political detainees including former Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament Rached Ghannouchi, former Secretary General of the Tayyar Party Ghazi Chaouachi, former Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri and former public prosecutor Bechir Akremi.
Though the court has not ordered the men’s release, it has ordered Tunisia to “take all measures to eliminate all barriers that prevent the four detainees, and their families, to have access to and communicate with lawyers and doctors of their choice”.
They have also ordered the Tunisian government to inform the detainees, their families and lawyers of the reasons for their detention, specifically to provide them with “adequate information and facts relating to the legal and factual basis for the detention”. The Tunisian Government has 15 days to implement these measures and respond.
