Skander Sassi

Skander Sassi, a 33-year-old Tunisian citizen, holds a disability card certifying an intellectual disability, is under regular psychiatric follow-up, and has previously been hospitalised at Razi University Hospital in Manouba on more than one occasion. He was detained in connection with a criminal case and moved between Kasserine Civil Prison and Sidi Bouzid Civil Prison.
He was transferred to Sidi Bouzid prison without prior notice to his family. He was prevented from appearing before the court at his first hearing on the pretext that the prison’s detainee transport vehicle had broken down. During one visit, his family observed clear marks of violence on his body, raising serious suspicions that he had been tortured or ill-treated in detention. The family filed a complaint with the sentence enforcement judge in Kasserine, who ordered that he be brought before him to look into the facts and examine the marks of violence, and an investigation was ordered. He later appeared before the court and his release was ordered, but after his release he was surprised by a criminal complaint filed against him by several prison officers, accusing him of assault, threats and defamation while they were performing their duties.