The Sfax Court of Appeal is hearing the case of Hammami and Hamdi

The Sfax Court of Appeal, on Wednesday 11 November 2026, is hearing the first appeals in the case against students Adam Hamami and Zia Hamadi, activists in Tunisia's boycott and anti-normalization campaign. The hearing follows the public prosecutor's appeal of the Sfax Primary Court's preliminary ruling of 2 October 2025, which ruled that their case was not heard.

Investigators charged them with perpetrating an outrageous order against the President of the Republic within the meaning of Chapter 67 of the Criminal Journal, and the proceedings disrupted inspections of their personal phones, detention and room, before they were recalled after finding in their phones a screenshot of a mural belonging to artist Rashad Tambora.

The Intersectional Society for Rights and Freedoms reported that from the earliest stages of tracking, the students were subject to violations of fair trial guarantees and defense rights, where they were heard without a lawyer, contrary to what the Criminal Procedure Journal states, as well as being intimidated, detained and inspected for their personal data with a claim to complete the investigation.

The Association considered that the prosecution's appeal of the ruling and keeping the students under judicial supervision for more than a year raised serious concerns about the length of proceedings and the possible consequences of pressure targeting student and youth activity, stressing that the criminalization of peaceful expression based on section 67 affects freedom of opinion and expression and threatens participation in public affairs.