On September 22, 2025, Jihed was arrested by the police on suspicion of trafficking Class “A” drug pills along with several other individuals and was held in custody. However, he suffers from psychological disorders and has been a resident of Razi Psychiatric Hospital since 2010. He also carries a disability card, which requires that adequate conditions be provided for his specific health needs. Two days after his detention, Jihed was brought before the judiciary, where the investigating judge issued a detention order against him.

And ever since his detention, his lawyer stated that he had taken on the case since October 1, 2025, only to realize that his client had not been heard or questioned regarding the charges against him, and that his disability card had not been included in the file when it was presented to the court. Upon reviewing the victim’s file, he had verbally informed the investigating judge that his client was in a critical psychological state and suffered from disorders, and requested that he shall be subjected to a medical examination. The judge replied that this was not within his purview and advised him to address the public prosecution.

When he approached the prosecution, he was informed that it was no longer competent to handle the file, leaving Jihed in prison without consideration of his particular health condition.

On October 3, 2025, the victim’s lawyer demanded that Jihed needs hospitalization as well as a demand for medical examination, in addition to a notice of imminent danger of death. However, according to the lawyer’s testimony, the judge refused to consider these requests, arguing that hospitalization requests were not within his jurisdiction, and also rejected the request for a medical examination. The lawyer explained that he had opposed the judge’s decision based on Tunisian law, reminding him that the law issued in 1992 states that the investigating judge is the authority competent to consider this type of request.

However, according to his testimony, the judge replied that he would verify the matter and inform him of his decision next week. The lawyer of the victim of the violation also added that notification procedures are usually simple and typically require no more than a phone call to the prison where the detainee is held, after which the detainee is transferred to the hospital. He also pointed out that when lawyers submit requests to the judges, they do not receive any receipt or acknowledgment confirming that the request has been received.

In addition to this judicial procrastination, the victim of violation’s case did not get the seriousness it deserved, despite the urgent attention and responsibility it needed. The family of the victim of the violation told the lawyer that visiting Jihed was no longer helpful because his mental health kept getting worse. He stopped talking, eating, and drinking which is something the family noticed during their recent visits. They also said his hands were tightly cuffed, causing cuts and bleeding, and that he was punished and placed in solitary confinement.

The family added, through their lawyer, that the prison director called them and said he had sent two letters to the court about Jihed’s condition but got no reply, and also said that the prison no longer knew how to deal with his situation.

On October 5 2025, around 8 PM, Jihed’s family received a phone call from the prison administration to inform them of his death in the Abd el Rahmen Mami in Ariana. And when they went to the hospital, they were notified that he was taken to the hospital of Charles Nicolle for an autopsy. And on the next day, the lawyer states that when he turned to the Court to inquire whether the prison administration had sent a telegram regarding the death. He was told that his client had been taken out of prison while on oxygen and had died at Ben Arous Hospital and the lawyer confirmed that an investigation had been opened to look into the circumstances and causes of the death.