On 12 June 2025, Hazem Amara was arrested after an altercation with a customer at the café where he worked as a waiter. The arrest followed a complaint filed by the customer at the Grombalia police station. That same afternoon, Hazem was interrogated without a lawyer present.

He was held overnight at the detention centre in Nabeul Governorate. On 13 June, a detention order was issued, and he was transferred to Belli Prison on charges of premeditated murder.

On 19 June, Hazem’s mother visited him in prison and submitted his medical records to the prison authorities. The documents confirmed that Hazem held a disability card and suffered from a chronic illness that caused acute episodes requiring daily medication. Despite this, prison staff refused to let her bring in the medicines he needed.

In her testimony, Hazem’s mother recounted her final visit on 7 July 2025. Her son described the difficult conditions he was living under. He didn’t have a bed, access to the toilet was extremely limited and required long waits, and his health was deteriorating rapidly. She also noticed visible swelling under his eyes.

Hazem’s condition continued to decline. It was not until 8 July that he was transferred to Mohamed Tahar Maamouri Hospital in Nabeul. His mother stated that from the moment of his arrest, she had been asking authorities to allow him proper medical care, including visits to his regular doctor at Rabta Hospital and uninterrupted access to his prescribed medication.

One day after his admission to the hospital, a family member was contacted and told Hazem was experiencing a medical emergency and had asked to see his mother. When Mrs. Hayet arrived, it was not a doctor or official who informed her, but another patient in the hospital who told her her son had died after vomiting repeatedly for a long period without receiving any medical attention.

That same evening, at 8:00 PM on 9 July 2025, the Grombalia authorities officially notified her of Hazem’s death. The family received his body the next day after completing the required legal and administrative procedures.

Human Rights Violations