On 12 June 2025, legal professionals, bar association representatives, academics, human rights advocates and journalists gathered online and in person in Brussels, Belgium, to participate in the 2025 International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) Conference and Ebru Timtik Award, hosted at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. This year’s edition focused on Tunisia, amid a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation and an escalating assault on the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession.
Each year, International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) highlights barriers to the right to a fair trial in a specific country, highlighting trends, evolutions and gathering expert opinion on the topic. In 2025, Tunisia was selected due to persistent and increasingly alarming reports of systemic fair trial rights violations reported over the past few years. These include the erosion of judicial independence, executive interference in the administration of justice, restrictions on the rights of defence, and the instrumentalisation of criminal law to silence dissent. Lawyers, judges, human rights defenders and journalists face harassment, prosecution, arbitrary detention and imprisonment for carrying out their professional duties or exercising their right to freedom of expression. Civic space has shrunk dramatically, while impunity for serious human rights violations remains widespread. Due to serious security concerns and a risk assessment, it was decided that the conference should be held in Brussels.
On International Fair Trial Day, the Ebru Timtik Award is granted to an individual or organisation that has demonstrated exceptional commitment and sacrifice in defence of the right to a fair trial. In 2025, the Award was presented to Ahmed Souab, a prominent Tunisian lawyer, former judge and human rights defender, in recognition of his lifelong dedication to justice, judicial independence and human rights. Mr Souab was arrested in April 2025 following public criticism of serious fair trial violations in the so-called “conspiracy case” and has since faced prosecution under counter-terrorism and cybercrime legislation. His trial is still currently ongoing, and civil society organisations continue to call for his release and respect for his right to a fair trial and proper conduct of these proceedings. The award was accepted on his behalf by his son during the ceremony.
The report below summarises the key concerns, testimonies and recommendations discussed during the 2025 IFTD Conference. The issues are presented under core themes that emerged throughout the event, including declining judicial independence, the targeting of legal professionals and journalists, obstacles to the right of defence, the use of military courts to try civilians, conditions of detention, and the impact of systemic impunity. The views reflected in this report are those of the individual speakers, based on their personal expertise and experience, and do not necessarily represent the official positions of the organising or endorsing organisations. The information contained in the report is current as of 12 June 2025 and of the IFTD ceremony. Subsequent developments may have occurred since that date which are not reflected in this document.
Read the PDF version of the report here
