Tunisia Convicts 10 Activists after Anti-Pollution Protests in Gabes

A Tunisian court has convicted 10 environmental activists over a demonstration against pollution linked to a big phosphate-processing facility in the southern seaside city of Gabes. The activists participated in protests in 2020, calling for action over pollution and health concerns that communities link to the facility.

Eight campaigners were awarded six-month suspended prison sentences and two others were given one-year imprisonment terms, defence lawyer Hamida Chaieb said. The state-owned firm brought the complaint, accusing the demonstrators of disrupting its operations. The debate comes amid increased worry over the environmental impact of the plant. Researchers have warned that some of its industrial waste and pollutants include radioactive chemicals and may pose major health hazards.

Campaigners said they thought the case had been dropped after their initial arrest and release. But they then learned they had been condemned in absentia in 2023 and that a retrial had been ordered.

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