Sherifa Riahi, former director of the French humanitarian organization Terre d’Asile in Tunisia, has been reunited with her family after spending more than 20 months in detention, following a Tunisian court’s decision to hand down suspended sentences in a high-profile migration-related case.
Riahi and two colleagues were released on Tuesday after being convicted of facilitating the illegal entry and residence of migrants, charges they have consistently denied. The court’s ruling ends a case that has drawn international attention and raised concerns among human rights groups about the treatment of humanitarian workers in Tunisia.
Speaking shortly after her release, Riahi described the emotional strain of her detention, saying the hardest part was not prison life itself but the prolonged separation from her family and the isolation from the outside world. She said the uncertainty and fear of never seeing her loved ones again weighed heavily throughout her imprisonment.
Riahi also warned that the case reflects what she called a growing criminalization of humanitarian work in Tunisia. She stressed that Terre d’Asile’s mission was to support asylum seekers and migrants in vulnerable situations while working alongside Tunisian authorities to manage migration flows.
Arrested in May 2024, Riahi maintains that she and her colleagues acted lawfully under a state-approved framework. She said the organization had operated in Tunisia since 2012 with official authorization, signed agreements with government institutions and public recognition from authorities, making the prosecution difficult for her to comprehend.
Migration remains one of Tunisia’s most politically sensitive issues. The country is a major transit point for tens of thousands of migrants attempting dangerous sea crossings to Europe each year. President Kais Saied has adopted a hard-line stance, particularly since early 2023, when comments he made about undocumented migrants sparked widespread fear, racially motivated attacks and the displacement of thousands of migrants from their homes and workplaces.
Human rights organizations say the case highlights growing pressure on civil society groups operating in Tunisia, particularly those involved in migration and refugee assistance.
