A climate of tension briefly reigned in Djerba after the arrest of a man sought by justice. Protests broke out, arousing attempted recovery on social networks.
It all started on Saturday March 29, 2025, with the arrest of a resident in the historic “El Hara” district in Djerba. Condemned in absentia to seven years in prison, he was wanted by the authorities. His arrest caused a protest movement within his entourage, some residents demanding his immediate release.
Tensions culminated when demonstrators tried to force the entrance to the police station. Faced with this situation, the police have strengthened security and opened an investigation into these intrusion attempts.
Rumors quickly circulated on social networks, suggesting that the suspect’s arrest was linked to a commitment to the current conflict in Gaza. The authorities categorically denied these allegations, specifying that it was a purely Tunisian legal case, without any connection to international events.
During the night, calm returned around the police station, and the situation normalized. However, the case continued to react online, feeding various interpretations.
Certain pages on social networks have sought to exploit this incident for controversial purposes. Among them, a page entitled Israel Is Forever published a video of the arrest, accompanied by comments insinuating that the Jewish community of Djerba was in danger in Tunisia. This publication quickly attracted exacerbated reactions and polarizing speeches.
Faced with these handling attempts, Elie Trabelsi, brother of former tourism minister René Trabelsi, intervened to denounce these recovery. He recalled that the Jewish community in Tunisia is an integral part of the country and that the amalgams between a local judicial case and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are dangerous and unfounded.
