On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, human rights activist Wael Zarrouk was arrested during a routine identity check after authorities discovered that he was wanted in connection with a case dating back to 2022. He was initially taken to the National Guard district headquarters in La Marsa before being transferred at approximately 4:00 a.m. on 8 July 2026 to the National Guard district in Bardo, where he met with his lawyer and was informed that a default judgment had been issued against him.

The case relates to his participation in a 2022 television programme broadcast on a private channel, where he took part in a public debate alongside young activists and representatives of public institutions. During the discussion, he recounted a previous experience of detention and criticized conditions within Tunisia’s prison system.

On the evening of 8 July 2026, Wael Zarrouk was transferred to the Bouchoucha detention centre, where he spent the night before being brought before the Public Prosecutor on the morning of 9 July 2026. During these proceedings, he learned that the Court of First Instance of Tunis had issued a default judgment on 13 March 2026 sentencing him to one year in prison under Article 128 of the Penal Code for “attributing unlawful acts to a public official.” According to his testimony, he had never received any official summons or notification informing him that criminal proceedings had been initiated against him before the judgment was issued.

His lawyer subsequently filed an objection to the default judgment and challenged the legality of his arrest, after which he was provisionally released. Following the acceptance of the objection, the case was scheduled for reconsideration before the Tunis Court of Appeal on 30 July 2026.