The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) announced, this Friday, July 11, 2025, having transmitted to the authorities all the financial and administrative documents claimed within the framework of a current legal proceedings. The organization ensures acting in complete transparency and in strict compliance with the law.
This approach follows a summons received two days earlier by the Research and Fighting Tax Evasion Brigade, on the basis of a judicial mandate issued by the Sub-Direction of Economic and Financial Investigations of the Judicial Police. The procedure follows from a referral to the prosecution near the economic and financial pole of the Tunis court of first instance.
In a statement addressed to public opinion, the FTDES claims to have always cooperated with the control bodies, in particular the Court of Auditors and the Service of Associations under the Presidency of the Government. The organization thus underlines its compliance with the legal, administrative and financial obligations in force, including the provisions of the decree-law n ° 88 supervising the work of associations.
But beyond this affair, the forum sees it as a symptom of an increasingly hostile climate in civic space. “This development cannot be dissociated from the general context marked by an intensification of the pressures exerted on civil society organizations”, can be read in the press release signed by the president of the FTDES, Abderrahmane Hedhili.
The forum reaffirms his desire to cooperate fully with justice, while firmly rejecting what he considers as attempts at stigma or unjustified questioning of his action. “Our activities have always been legal and consistent with a national control journey for social justice and human dignity,” insists the organization.
Founded in the aftermath of the Revolution, but active from the 2000s alongside social movements, the FTDES defines itself as a voice of the voiceless, engaged alongside workers, marginalized regions and young people in search of justice.
