Tunisian rights group condemns wave of arrests targeting LGBTQ+ community
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A prominent Tunisian human rights organisation has denounced a recent spate of arrests targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community, accusing authorities of mistreatment and discriminatory enforcement of the country’s penal code.
According to Damj, the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality, at least 14 individuals were detained earlier in July - nine in the capital, Tunis, and five on the southern island of Djerba. The arrests were reportedly carried out under Article 230 of Tunisia’s penal code, which criminalises same-sex relations and carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Saif Ayadi, programme officer at Damj, condemned the state’s actions, stating: “We are forced to stay at home, in our private spaces, without displaying our identities.” He added that the arrests involved invasive body and phone searches, with several detainees already sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to two years.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained. Hussein Baoumi, Amnesty’s deputy regional director, urged Tunisian authorities to end what he described as the “weaponisation of morality” against LGBTQ+ individuals.
The crackdown comes amid a broader climate of hostility towards LGBTQ+ people in Tunisia. Over the past year, Damj has documented more than 80 arrests under anti-homosexuality laws. Activists have also reported a surge in hate speech across social media and calls from public figures to ban LGBTQ+ organisations.
Despite growing international condemnation, the Tunisian interior ministry has yet to issue a statement regarding the latest arrests.
