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“Of course, this is a decision that has nothing to do with justice. It has to do with a totalitarian regime that wants to erase the legacy of the IVD,” she said, adding that she would appeal the sentence.
Tunisia, once seen as a democratic success story after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, has faced growing criticism from rights groups over what they describe as democratic backsliding under President Kais Saied.
The case centres on the now-defunct Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD), which was created after the 2011 revolution that removed longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Prosecutors accused Bensedrine, who chaired the commission, of falsifying parts of its final report, published in 2020. She rejected the allegations, saying she had been targeted for political reasons.
“Officials who are holding the state hostage are trying to settle scores and discredit our work,” she said.
The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) described the charges as “groundless,” saying her prosecution raised serious concerns. It also noted that commission members are legally protected from liability for the content of their reports.
The commission’s final report had called for “dismantling a system of corruption, repression and dictatorship” within Tunisia’s state institutions.
