At least 23 prisoners have died in Tunisia in recent weeks due to extreme heat, according to rights advocates. The Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) documented 23 deaths based on information from doctors, lawyers, and relatives of prisoners who died in jail from the heat. Authorities have yet to release official figures for prison deaths this summer.
Harsh Detention Conditions
Tunisia has faced high temperatures in recent weeks, with residents struggling with long power outages and water cuts. Rights groups have long condemned harsh detention conditions made worse by overcrowding. The LTDH president, Bassem Trifi, stated that conditions are already inhumane under normal circumstances, but with the heatwave and temperatures that sometimes exceed 45°C in overcrowded cells, the situation becomes a threat to prisoners' lives.
Calls for Investigation and Action
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) expressed concern about the deterioration of detention conditions and the increase in deaths in prisons. The group called for transparent and independent investigations amid what it said was a lack of official data around the deaths. The OMCT also urged Tunisian authorities to take necessary measures to protect the lives of detainees and to allow rights groups to conduct prison visits.
Prominent Detainees at Risk
Among the detainees at risk are Ennahdha party leader Rached Ghannouchi, 85, and 82-year-old activist Ahmed Nejib Chebbi. Their relatives have expressed grave concerns over their health conditions. Investigative journalist Mohamed Yousfi and independent journalist Zied El Heni, both critics of President Kais Saied, have also raised alarms over their detention conditions.
Background and Context
Tunisia's prisons have long faced criticism over chronic overcrowding and poor detention conditions. Rights groups have accused the prison administration of inadequate ventilation and limited access to water, accusations the administration has denied. Since President Saied's power grab in 2021, dozens of political figures, journalists, and businessmen have been detained. The LTDH has been banned from visiting prisons since November 2025.
