Rights group denounces ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ+ community in Tunisia

At least 14 people identifying as LGBTQ+ have been arrested in the past week in Tunis and on the island of Djerba, according to the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality (Damj).

“We are forced to hide at home, in our private spaces, without showing our identities,” Saif Ayadi, a programme officer at Damj, told AFP.

Many of those detained were reportedly stopped after police carried out cell phone and body searches, according to Middle East Eye (MEE). Dami says the detainees were subjected to degrading treatment by law enforcement officers.

Under Article 230 of Tunisia’s penal code, same-sex sexual relations are punishable by up to three years in prison. Other articles criminalize “public indecency” and acts deemed offensive to “public morals.”

Human rights organisations say arrests under these laws have surged since President Kais Saied consolidated his power by dissolving parliament in July 2021.

Between September 2024 and the end of January 2025, more than 80 people were arrested on charges related to homosexuality, MEE reports.

Meanwhile, hate speech targeting LGBTQ+ people has reportedly proliferated on social media and mainstream broadcasts, with prominent TV and radio personalities calling for bans on LGBTQ+ organisations and more arrests of activists.