Tunisia prison heat deaths reach 20, rights group says

The head of the Tunisian League for Human Rights said 20 prisoners have died in detention in Tunisia in recent weeks because of extreme heat, a figure authorities have not confirmed.

Bassem Trifi, the group’s president, told Express FM on Sept. 3 that the organisation documented the deaths through the end of August using information from doctors, lawyers and relatives of prisoners. He cited poor ventilation, suffocation risks and overcrowding in cells as major concerns as temperatures reached 45C.

Trifi said prison conditions in rising temperatures amounted to torture. He also said information was limited, particularly after a 2025 ban on the group visiting prisons.

Henda Chebbi, a Tunisian health ministry official speaking about recent deaths in general, said authorities would not release figures or attribute a death to a cause before verification through scientific indicators and forensic analysis.

Tunisia has faced high temperatures in recent weeks, alongside long power outages and water cuts. The Tunisian Young Doctors Organisation said in late August that emergency services had recorded an unprecedented rise in deaths and hospitalisations linked to heatstroke and high temperatures. Its president said in late July that up to 200 heatstroke-related deaths had been recorded.

Relatives and lawyers of detained political opponents have also raised concerns about prison conditions. Among those detained is Ennahdha party leader Rached Ghannouchi, whose lawyers said in July that his health was critical after reports that he had fainted and suffered severe exhaustion.