Five years in prison for lawyer Souab: state secrets revealed!

Five years in prison for lawyer Souab: state secrets revealed!

A court ruling is causing a stir in Tunis: lawyer Ahmed Souab was sentenced to five years in prison. The decision comes from the Chambre criminelle spécialisée dans les affairs de terrorisme du tribunal de première instance and was announced on Friday, October 31, 2025. Souab's conviction is the result of a renvois of the chamber d'accusation spécialisée at the Cour d'appel de Tunis, and it concerns his statements to the chamber criminelle, which deals with an important case - the conspiracy against the security of the State n°1. These developments raise questions about the state of the rule of law in Tunisia and what impact such rulings will have on society.

But while the judiciary is heavily criticized in the Arab world, there are also international challenges that countries like Canada are facing. Asya Medea, a trans woman who fled Turkey in 2018, recently highlighted the worsening situation for asylum seekers in Canada. After applying for asylum due to her dangerous situation and being recognized as a refugee in 2020, Medea is now fighting for the well-being of those around her. With a non-profit organization called LuBunTO, she supports LGBTQ+ newcomers who are going through similar fates as herself.

Bill C-12: A Threat to Asylum Seekers

Bill C-12, also known as the “Strong Borders Act”, is currently causing debate. It is seen as a threat to the human right to asylum and prevents asylum applications from those who have lived in Canada for more than a year from being examined. This is retroactive to June 24, 2020, meaning that many asylum seekers have ended up in a legal gray area. Immigration Minister Lena Diab has explained that those affected can only request a risk assessment before deportation - an option that critics say has little chance of success.

These concerns are also shared by Bloc Québécois MP Claude DeBellefeuille, who points to the dilemma that circumstances in asylum seekers' home countries can change quickly. The ministry's response that a risk assessment is still necessary leaves many perplexed. Jason Hollmann, Director of Asylum Policy, emphasizes that the criteria for this risk assessment are the same as those for asylum applications, but the reality shows that only around six percent of these applications have been approved in the past.

International dimensions

Bill C-12 reflects the global trend to undermine the rights of refugees and asylum seekers while minimizing protections for these vulnerable groups. Initiatives like Medea's, which advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, offer hope, but they come against the backdrop of policies that are increasingly restrictive. Organizations like Amnesty International are calling on Canada to rethink its asylum policy and reject Bill C-12 to protect the rights of those seeking protection.

What does all this have to do with what happened in Tunis? Both cases show how the approach to justice and human rights can vary depending on the context and political situation. Whether in Tunisia, where a lawyer is imprisoned because of his statements, or in Canada, where the right to asylum is facing a massive threat - humanity must be at the forefront.