Four activists in Tunisia remain in pretrial detention following an investigation into financial matters related to the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international campaign aimed at delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The individuals—Wael Naouar, Ghassan Henchiri, Ghassan Boughdiri, and Nabil Channoufi—have been held since March while Tunisia’s Economic and Financial Judicial Pole examines the origin and use of funds collected for the flotilla initiative. Authorities have characterized the case as a financial investigation into the handling of collected money rather than a prosecution tied to the activists’ political or pro-Palestinian positions.
The detained men and their legal representatives have consistently maintained their innocence, and none has been convicted. The defence team has challenged multiple extensions of their pretrial detention, arguing that freedom should be the default status and detention the exception. On September 11, a court-ordered four-month extension was imposed, which was appealed before the Court of Appeal in Tunis on Wednesday. The appeal was rejected, keeping the four in detention for another four months.
Health concerns have become increasingly prominent among the detainees. Naouar initiated a hunger strike on August 16 to protest his continued detention and was hospitalized as his condition declined. He suspended the strike after 38 days while emphasizing that the decision did not constitute an abandonment of his demands. Henchiri, Boughdiri, and Channoufi remain on hunger strike as of late September. Family members report visible signs of exhaustion and physical deterioration among the imprisoned activists.
The case has expanded beyond the four primary detainees. Fourteen individuals arrested following a September 19 protest demanding their release were subsequently placed in pretrial detention themselves, according to legal representatives. This group includes a 17-year-old brought before a juvenile court. The additional detainees face various charges under Tunisia’s Penal Code, including participating in gatherings alleged to disturb public order and making statements characterized as damaging to official reputation. The government has rejected claims that judicial processes are being weaponized against political opponents, maintaining that the judiciary operates independently and in accordance with legal procedures.
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