Chadha Hadj Mbarek

Chadha Hadj Mbarek, a Tunisian journalist, faces serious charges in connection with her work as a journalist, in the framework of a case known as “Instalingo”, after a company specialising in producing online media content. The charges against her include attempting to change the form of the state, disturbing public order and committing an odious act against the President of the Republic. The violations against her began with her arrest in October 2021. On 22 July 2023, she was committed to Messaadine Women’s Prison in execution of a decision of the Indictment Chamber of the Sousse Court of Appeal. According to the testimony of lawyer Samir Dilou to Intersection Association, the journalist suffers from numerous health problems, including kidney disease and hearing loss, problems that have been aggravated by neglect, harsh prison conditions and lengthy legal proceedings, even though her remaining at liberty would pose no danger to society and would respect the presumption of innocence. In Messaadine Women’s Prison, she suffers severe neglect of her health condition, including delays in medical examinations, delays in seeing specialist doctors and failure to provide the necessary medication, which has had a major impact on her physical and mental health. The violations have also extended to her family: her father and later her two brothers were arrested (and subsequently released), placing enormous pressure on them, and the family was ultimately forced to change its place of residence and move to another city to protect itself from continuing threats and pressure.