Tunisia frees humanitarian workers after 20 months in prison

In Tunisia, humanitarian workers who were on trial for helping migrants were released overnight from Monday to Tuesday, according to the support committee of one of the detainees.

Six workers from the Tunisian branch of the French NGO Terre d’Asile were being tried for allegedly “facilitating the illegal entry and residence” of migrants.

Their lawyers argue that they assisted asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants as part of a programme approved by the Tunisian government.

Former director of the NGO Sherifa Riahi and several of her colleagues had been imprisoned for more than 20 months.

According to AFP, Riahi's support committee posted a video on Facebook showing her leaving prison and stated that the other humanitarian workers had also been released.

Lawyer Mahmoud Daoud Yaacoub, a member of Sherifa Riahi’s defense team, told AFP that the court had handed down a two-year suspended prison sentence to the detained defendants, including Sherifa Riahi.

“Tomorrow, we will learn the rest of the ruling concerning the defendants who are free,” he added.

Other defendants include 17 members of the municipal council of the eastern Tunisian city of Sousse, accused of allowing the NGO to use municipal premises.