Tunis Court of Appeal Postpones "Black Chamber" Case to January 2026
The Criminal Chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal ordered, on Friday, November 28, 2025, the postponement of the examination of the so-called "black chamber" case of the Ministry of Interior to the session of January 16, 2026, according to a judicial source quoted by the TAP Agency.
Reasons for Postponement
The postponement was motivated by a request from the defense, which requested a deadline to take full knowledge of the file and prepare its arguments.
Rejection of Release Requests
At the same time, the Court of Appeal dismissed all requests for release, confirming the continued detention of the defendants concerned.
Background of the Case
In May last year, the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance of Ariana handed down first-instance judgments condemning eight defendants, including former security officials, to eight years in prison, with an immediate execution order targeting three defendants on the run.
Charges
The charges retained include interference with evidence, through "appropriation, concealment, destruction, or modification of documents or elements of criminal procedure," as well as manipulation of public archives or documents entrusted to authority agents.
Investigation
The investigation was opened following the seizure of a large batch of documents found in a sealed office at the Ministry of Interior, a discovery that led the first investigating judge of the Ariana court to take up the case.
Defense Claims
The defense of the two assassinated political figures, Chokri Belaïd and Mohamed Brahmi, claims that these documents implicate Mustapha Khedher, presented as having carried out activities "of an intelligence nature."
Request for Access to "Black Chamber"
A portion of the documents seized in 2013 from his home, when he was sentenced to eight years in prison, would, according to the defense, be stored in the "black chamber." The defense is demanding the lifting of the seal on this space, complete access to its contents, and the declassification of documents it believes are directly linked to the assassination cases of Belaïd and Brahmi, as well as the cessation of any form of protection that the parallel structure implicated in these assassinations may be benefiting from.
