Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Tunisian authorities to overturn the convictions issued in the so-called “Conspiracy Case,” urging the release of all detainees ahead of an appeal hearing scheduled for November 17. The rights group issued the statement on Friday as concerns mount over political repression under President Kais Saied.

According to HRW, 37 defendants — including political opponents of Saied, activists, lawyers and researchers — were charged under provisions of Tunisia’s Penal Code and the 2015 Counterterrorism Law. HRW said the defendants received prison sentences ranging from four to 66 years, based on court judgments made public in April before the Tunis Court of First Instance.

HRW said the proceedings violated fair-trial standards contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Many defendants were arrested in February 2023; HRW noted that this means they have spent more than two years in pretrial detention, exceeding the 14-month limit set under Article 85 of Tunisia’s Code of Criminal Procedure. The organisation also reported violence and poor detention conditions, including what it described as an assault against activist Jaouhar Ben Mbarek.

The rights group raised several procedural concerns over the April trial, stating that the defendants were convicted after three hearings without adequate due-process protections. Defence lawyers received only three days’ notice for the appeal session, prompting the court to postpone the hearing to November 17.

The upcoming appeal will be held via videoconference — a format that the defence committee argues violates detainees’ right to appear physically before a judge, particularly for assessing their health and detention conditions. Lawyers said the arrangement further compromises the integrity of the appeal process.

In its statement, HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director said the case reflects what the group views as a broader crackdown on dissent since Saied expanded his powers in July 2021. Several detainees, including Ben Mbarek, Issam Chebbi, Abdelhamid Jelassi and Ridha Belhaj, have launched hunger strikes to protest what they describe as arbitrary detention and inadequate medical care.

Since 2021, Tunisian authorities have enacted sweeping changes to the judicial system. In 2022, Saied replaced the country’s judicial oversight body with a council under presidential authority, giving himself extensive control over judicial appointments and dismissals.

Rights groups say Tunisia’s recent withdrawal of individual and NGO access to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights marks a significant setback for accountability mechanisms once available to the public.