In the spring of 2025, Tunisian defence lawyer Ahmed Souab was arrested for speaking publicly about glaring due process violations in the 'conspiracy trial', which was a mass trial in Tunisia. It saw dozens of well-known public and political figures sentenced to prison in what is widely viewed as an attempt to silence critics and dismantle political opposition.
Having acted as defence counsel for some of the accused, Souab was held for 48 hours without access to a lawyer, then charged with 'forming a terrorist organisation' and 'spreading false information', among other spurious charges. His hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. The 68-year-old former magistrate is now serving a five-year prison sentence and facing three more years of administrative control, all just for doing his job.
His case is not an isolated incident of injustice. It is a stark example of the deepening assault on the right to a defence and freedom of expression in Tunisia.
Souab will appear before the Court of Appeal on 12 February. His appeal represents a critical opportunity for the Tunisian judiciary to uphold basic guarantees of due process. It also, however, poses a real risk of an even harsher sentence.
The time for international pressure is now.
This week, we published a report examining fair trial rights in Tunisia. The report details systemic concerns including the rapid decline in judicial independence; obstacles to the right to defence, the targeting of lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists; and torture or ill-treatment in detention. It also sets out a series of recommendations for Tunisian authorities to improve judicial functioning, protect lawyers and combat impunity.
Defending lawyers and ensuring the fairness of trials everywhere in the world is critical. As we can see from Souab’s trial, our work fighting to protect the rule of law is far from over.
The right to a fair trial should be non-negotiable. For now, it is our job to speak up for all those who cannot speak for themselves.
Mark Evans is president of the Law Society of England and Wales
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