Imed Mhawech

Imed Mhawech was arrested and detained at Monastir Civil Prison, where he was sentenced to nine months in prison on 13 March 2024 in Case No. 7395/2024 before the Misdemeanour Division of the Monastir Court of First Instance. He later appealed the judgment.

According to the available information, his family was not informed of his arrest, trial, or the judgment handed down against him. They only learned of his whereabouts after receiving a phone call from the prison administration informing them that he was serving his sentence and inviting them to visit him.

On 23 April 2024, Imed’s mother went to the prison to visit him for the first time since his arrest. According to her testimony, she was shocked by the severe deterioration of his health, despite him reportedly being in good health before his arrest. She found him in a wheelchair, unable to move, suffering from paralysis in both legs, severe headaches, continuous bleeding from his mouth, and visible signs of violence on his body. His mother reported that she lost consciousness and fainted during the visit.

On 24 April 2024, Imed’s mother filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor at the Monastir Court of Appeal, requesting that the necessary legal measures be taken, that her son undergo an urgent medical examination, and that an investigation be opened to identify those responsible for assaulting him and hold them accountable.

In this context, Imed appeared before the President of the Monastir Court of Appeal in a wheelchair and stated that he had been subjected to violence and torture by prison officers. He was subsequently referred to Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital in Monastir for the necessary examinations. However, according to his mother, he was taken to the hospital and discharged shortly thereafter, without, according to her testimony, actually being allowed to see a doctor or receive the necessary medical care.

In late April 2024, his family was able to visit him again in prison as part of the weekly visits and, according to the available information, confirmed that he remained in critical health. This was the last time his family was able to see him, as they were subsequently prevented from visiting him on the grounds that he was refusing to see them and had gone on hunger strike.

On 6 May 2024, Imed Mhawech died at Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital in Monastir, following weeks of severe health deterioration observed by his family during his imprisonment and under circumstances raising concerns regarding possible violence and ill-treatment and the alleged failure to provide him with adequate medical care.

Although the Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into his death, the available information indicates that, as of the preparation of this documentation, the circumstances surrounding his death have not been established, nor have those potentially responsible been identified or held accountable.