Yadh
Bousselmi
Director of Terre d'Asile Tunisie, an organisation supporting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Arrested on 8 May 2024 over the organisation's work, he spent about 20 months in pretrial detention until a Tunis court convicted him on 5 January 2026 of aiding the irregular stay of foreigners, gave him a two-year suspended sentence and released him.
- Country
- Tunisia
- Role
- NGO worker
- Arrested
- 8 May 2024
- Sentence
- Two-year suspended prison sentence (Tunis Court of First Instance, 5 January 2026).
- Status
- At liberty
- Arrested
- 8 May 2024
- Sentence
- Two-year suspended prison sentence (Tunis Court of First Instance, 5 January 2026).
- Judicial status
- Convicted, not final
- Name in Arabic
- عياض البوسالمي
- Charges
- Sheltering persons entering or leaving Tunisian territory illegally (convicted)
- Helping or facilitating the irregular entry, exit, movement or stay of a foreigner (convicted)
- Money laundering and forming a group to attack persons and property (dropped by the investigating judge)
The arrest, and what followed.
Background and Work
Yadh Bousselmi is the director of Terre d'Asile Tunisie, the Tunisian branch of the French NGO France Terre d'Asile, which supports asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
Arrest and Detention
Yadh Bousselmi was arrested on 8 May 2024, during a wider crackdown on organisations working with refugees and migrants, and placed in pretrial detention. He was held until the night of 5 to 6 January 2026.
Legal Proceedings
In January 2025 the investigating judge dropped the heaviest charges, including money laundering, and referred him to trial. In February 2025, on the prosecution's appeal, the Indictment Chamber confirmed charges against him and five other staff members of the organisation. The trial opened on 15 December 2025 before the Tunis Court of First Instance, which refused requests for release. On 5 January 2026 the court convicted him of sheltering persons entering or leaving Tunisia illegally and of facilitating the irregular stay of foreigners, and gave him a two-year suspended prison sentence. He was released that night. No appeal has been reported.