Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms condemns the decision to suspend the activities of the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors for a full month, announced on 14 May 2026, and considers it a serious step that constitutes a direct attack on freedom of association and the right to professional and trade union organization, both of which are fundamental rights guaranteed by the Tunisian Constitution and international human rights instruments.
The Association considers that targeting a professional organization representing the demands of young doctors and defending their social and professional rights, as well as the right to a fair and effective public healthcare system, cannot be separated from a broader context marked by increasing restrictions on civic and trade union space. It further considers that the decision carries an intimidating and deterrent message directed at all independent voices seeking to defend rights, freedoms, and social justice.
The Association also notes that the decision was issued less than 24 hours before a press conference that the organization had planned to hold, during which it was expected to present a comprehensive study on the state of Tunisia’s public healthcare sector. This timing raises further questions regarding the decision and its implications for freedom of expression and the right of access to information. Regardless of its source or the justification invoked, the decision is incompatible with universal human rights principles and with Tunisia’s international obligations guaranteeing freedom of association and the right to collectively defend legitimate interests.
It should be noted that the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors is one of the leading professional structures representing medical interns and residents in Tunisia. It was established to defend the professional, material, and moral rights of this group, improve working and training conditions in public hospitals, and play an active trade union and civic role in defending and seeking to reform the public healthcare system, as well as advocating for citizens’ right to equitable and quality healthcare services.
In this context, the Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms calls for the immediate reversal of the decision to suspend the activities of the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors and for the restoration of its full right to continue its activities without unjustified restrictions. It also calls for full transparency regarding the legal and procedural grounds on which such decisions targeting civil society organizations are taken, and for safeguards against the use of administrative procedures and the manipulation of the law as tools to undermine civic space and exert pressure on civil society actors.
Finally, the Association warns that the continued adoption of such repressive policies risks deepening the ongoing deterioration of rights and freedoms in Tunisia and undermining the fundamental guarantees for independent civic and trade union activity. It reaffirms that targeting any professional or civil society organization today cannot be separated from a broader pattern of restrictions affecting public space and undermining the fundamental rights and freedoms of society as a whole.
