Rights groups condemn arrest of LGBTQ+ people in Tunisia
At least 14 people have been arrested over the past week, nine in the capital Tunis and five on the southern island of Djerba, according to the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality (Damj).
Many of those arrested were detained after cell phone and body searches, which can often involve intrusive anal examinations.
According to Damj, six of those arrested had already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to two years.
Saif Ayadi, programme officer at Damj, told AFP his group condemned the state's "practices... against gender identities and sexual orientations".
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"We are forced to stay at home, in our private spaces, without displaying our identities," he explained.
Over the past year, the North African country has seen an escalating crackdown on LGBTQ+ people.
Hate speech targeting LGBTQ+ people has spread across hundreds of social media pages, with popular TV and radio hosts calling for the banning of LGBTQ+ organisations and arrests of activists.
Influencers arrested
More than 80 people were arrested under Tunisia's anti-homosexuality laws between September 2024 and the end of January 2025.
Arrestees were detained and prosecuted under Article 230, which criminalises same-sex relations and carries a sentence of up to three years imprisonment, as well as articles in the penal code that criminalise 'public indecency' or acts deemed to be offensive to 'public morals'.
Tunisia: 'Moral values', the new pretext to repress freedoms Read More »
Last autumn, at least 10 influencers and content creators, including some residing abroad, were convicted and sentenced to prison terms of up to four-and-a-half years following a statement from the Ministry of Justice announcing prosecutions against anyone 'producing, distributing or publishing images or videos with content that undermines moral values'.
The defendants included Instagrammer Lady Samara, known for her frequent outbursts and angry insults at advertising companies, who was arrested for swearing.
Choumoukh, a 24-year-old Tiktok star with 200,000 followers, was jailed because of her openness in discussing sexuality during live shows.
Khoubaib, a queer content creator who is non-gender conforming, was prosecuted for defying gender norms and wearing make-up.
Morality laws have usually been used against members of the LGBTQ+ community, but also couples kissing in public, people eating or smoking during Ramadan, and blasphemous or 'inappropriate' content.
However, since President Kais Saied's power grab on 25 July 2021, when he froze parliament and started dismantling the democratic advances made after the revolution, arrests based on these laws have increased and the sentences delivered are much harsher.
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