Hatem Abed was summoned by the Judicial Police Unit in Hammam Lif. After being referred to the Second Investigating Judge at the Court of First Instance in Ben Arous, an order was issued on 11 April 2025 to place him in pre-trial detention in connection with a penal case. He was then transferred to Mornaguia Civil Prison.

According to Hatem’s father, he remained in detention for approximately seven months, from April to October 2025. During this period, his family, based on testimonies from former detainees, reports that he was subjected to torture and severe beatings, particularly to the head, by prison officers. He was also reportedly subjected to harsh disciplinary measures, including being placed in solitary confinement and deprived of food and water for two days.

He was later transferred to Oudhna Prison, where his health condition reportedly worsened without any effective medical intervention. He was subsequently transferred to the Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU) in critical condition. His family states that they were able to see him at the medical center and noticed clear signs of physical violence on his body.

On October 28, 2025, the director of Oudhna Prison issued a release order for Hatem Abed, despite the fact that he was in coma. The following day, on 29 October 2025, Hatem died after spending around  two weeks at the emergency medical center, in circumstances suggesting exposure to torture, according to his father. On November 3, 2025, the Fourth Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Ben Arous issued an initial in absentia ruling declaring the termination of public prosecution due to the defendant’s death.

In an effort to uncover the truth about the death and hold those responsible accountable, the victim’s father submitted a petition to the Court of First Instance in Ben Arous requesting the determination of the cause of death. His request was rejected, and he was referred to the Court of First Instance of Tunis 1, as the jurisdiction responsible for the emergency medical center. The second request was also rejected without any legal explanation or guidance.

In response, Hatem’s father submitted two complaints: the first to the Minister of Justice on December 22, 2025, and the second to the Presidency of the Republic on December 26, 2025. He affirmed the existence of former detainee witnesses willing to testify regarding his son’s exposure to torture. He later personally visited the Ministry of Justice, where he was informed that he would be contacted and that the case would be followed up. However, as of the date of drafting this documentation, no contact has been made and no tangible action has been taken.