France, Sept. 2 -- Authorities have prosecuted at least 47 people linked to non-governmental groups and held at least 10 in preventive detention for longer than 14 months, the maximum allowed under Tunisian law, the rights group said.

At least 14 people connected to civil society have been convicted and sentenced to prison after trials in 2025 and 2026. Human rights activist Saadia Mosbah was sentenced on 19 March to eight years in prison and a heavy fine on what HRW described as abusive financial crime charges.

"It is clear that the authorities are abusing every tool at their disposal to close the space for civil society in Tunisia and shut these organizations down," said Bassam Khawaja, the group's deputy director for the Middle East ...