The case of Mohamed Jihad Mejdoub, a 22-year-old medical student with dual Tunisian and Moroccan nationality, has triggered sharp condemnation from rights groups and legal observers in Tunisia, following his initial conviction in May to ten years in prison and five additional years under administrative surveillance on terrorism-related charges.
According to court documents and legal representatives cited by Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms, Majdoub was arrested in September 2023 while on a leisure trip to Kasserine. Stranded due to lack of public transport, he reportedly spent the night at a café near a police station.
Officers allegedly stopped him based on his unfamiliar appearance, searched his bag without a warrant, and found a prayer shirt and a pocket-sized Quran, items later cited as evidence of extremist intent.
Majdoub was then detained, denied contact with his family for four days, and subjected to beatings and coercion to sign police statements, according to his defense team. His apartment in Sfax was also raided, and a weighted workout vest was confiscated and presented in court as a suspected bulletproof garment. A later official report confirmed it was standard sports gear sold in fitness shops.
The student was ultimately charged with intent to join a terrorist group and with preparing to commit violent acts, including murder and attacks on public infrastructure. The court relied on his visit to Kasserine and prior international travel, including trips to Morocco, France, and Libya, as aggravating factors.
Human rights organizations argue the prosecution failed to present material evidence linking Majdoub to any terrorist activity and denounced what they describe as discriminatory profiling based on appearance.
His lawyer maintains the charges rest on fabricated or misinterpreted items.
Online, activists launched a solidarity campaign demanding Majdoub’s release, calling the case a “national disgrace” and a blatant violation of due process and anti-discrimination standards under international law.
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