Issam Grimen

Issam Grimen, a Tunisian citizen who spent 20 years in Italy before being deported to Tunisia about a year and a half ago, was being held in Gafsa Civil Prison in connection with an ordinary criminal case in which the court later dismissed the charges. While watching the news with other prisoners, he expressed his unwillingness to watch a televised activity of the President of the Republic and asked for the channel to be changed; the “kabran” (the inmate in charge of the cell) considered this an insult to the President and filed a complaint against him with the prison administration, supported by the testimony of one of those present. The prison director conducted the investigation, and on 27 June 2025 the investigation report was referred to the Public Prosecution, which initially characterised the act under Article 67 of the Penal Code (committing an odious act against the President of the Republic). Meanwhile, he was subjected to a disciplinary punishment of 7 days in solitary confinement, from 21 to 27 June 2025. Six days later, the court dismissed the charges in the original case, but he remained in detention because of the new charge. On 10 July 2025, the Misdemeanour Chamber of the Gafsa Court of First Instance sentenced him to six months in prison (the maximum penalty) under Article 226 bis of the Penal Code concerning offences against public morals, after the act was recharacterised from Article 67.