ARTICLE 19 expresses deep concern over the recent restrictions imposed by the authorities on demonstrators in Gabes, southern Tunisia, who have been protesting environmental pollution and demanding transparency and accountability. ARTICLE 19 calls on the Tunisian authorities to uphold the right to peaceful protest and to immediately release all those detained for exercising it. We also call the authorities to ensure full transparency and access to environmental information, in accordance with the Access to Information Law and international human rights obligations.
Since early October 2025, Gabes has witnessed large-scale demonstrations following a series of toxic gas leaks from the state-owned Chemical Group of Tunisia (GCT) industrial complex. The incidents resulted in the hospitalisation or treatment of more than 120 residents, including children and students, many suffering from asphyxiation and respiratory distress. On 15 October 2025, thousands of residents joined what became the city’s largest protest in years, calling for the closure of polluting industrial units and the implementation of the long-delayed 2017 relocation plan. Security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to reach the GCT complex, which is designated as a military zone. According to statements made to the Tunis Afrique Presse news agency by the head of the Gabes Bar Association, 89 individuals, including around 20 minors, were brought before the public prosecutor’s office between 14 and 17 October, while additional detainees were reportedly awaiting hearings. Such a large number of arrests raise serious concerns regarding respect for due process and the proportionality of the authorities’ response to peaceful protest.
The environmental crisis in Gabes is the result of decades of industrial activity. Since the establishment of the Chemical Group in 1972, chemical emission and phosphogypsum waste have contaminated the sea, air and soil, causing sever ecological degradation and health problems among residents. Scientific reports and institutional studies, including those by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Commission have classified the Gulf of Gabes as one of the most polluted coastal areas in the Mediterranean. Despite these alarming findings, official and up-to-date national data on air and water quality remains limited. The continued lack of transparency and delays in disclosing environmental information deprive citizens, researchers, and journalists of their right to know, undermining informed public participation and accountability.
Access to accurate information is not only a matter of public interest, but also a legal right and a prerequisite for effective environmental governance.
ARTICLE 19 urges the Tunisian authorities to fully guarantee the rights of individual to peaceful assembly and expression, refrain from excessive or disproportionate use of force, and ensure transparent and timely dissemination of environmental and health data, particularly relating to industrial emission and toxic incidents. ARTICLE 19 also calls on the authorities to engage in an open dialogue with affected communities, civil society and experts to define a sustainable and right-based solution for Gabes. Protecting the right to information and the right to protest is not contrary to Tunisia’s development goals. It is the foundation of public trust, environmental justice and sustainable future for all the residents of Gabes.