Tunisia jails 10 environmental activists over anti-pollution protests in Gabes

A Tunisian court has sentenced ten environmental activists over a protest against pollution linked to a major phosphate-processing plant in the southern coastal city of Gabes.

The activists took part in demonstrations in 2020, demanding action over pollution and health concerns that residents associate with the facility.

Eight activists received six-month suspended prison sentences, while two others were handed one-year jail terms, according to defence lawyer Hamida Chaieb.

The case was brought by the state-owned factory, which accused the protesters of obstructing its operations.

Campaigners say they believed the case had been dropped after their initial arrests and subsequent release. However, they later discovered they had been sentenced in absentia in 2023, prompting a retrial.

The controversy comes amid growing concerns over the plant’s environmental impact. Researchers have reported that some of its industrial waste and emissions contain radioactive substances and may pose serious health risks.

In February, a court rejected calls to suspend the facility’s operations.

Meanwhile, Tunisia plans to increase phosphate production more than fourfold by 2030, as President Kais Saied seeks to revive a sector considered vital to the national economy.