“Dark room” case: The accused once again face the judges on appeal

The Tunis Court of Appeal began, this Tuesday, the examination of the file of the so-called “dark room” of the Ministry of the Interior. The main accused were heard by the criminal chamber as part of the appeal procedure. This case, which dates back to the discovery of sensitive documents hidden in a closed ministry office, continues to attract strong judicial and political attention.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal heard several defendants prosecuted in this case. The hearing began with the questioning of former executives of the Ministry of the Interior, as well as the former head of the counter-terrorism brigade, central figures in the case.

The judges endeavored to revisit the circumstances of the management and alleged disappearance of sensitive documents, as well as the role attributed to each of the accused in the alleged acts.

Heavy sentences at first instance

Last May, the criminal chamber of the Ariana Court of First Instance rendered its verdict. Five detained defendants – Atef Omrani, Boubaker Abidi, Mohamed Kheriji, Kaïs Bessifi and Sami Ouaz – were each sentenced to eight years in prison. The court also handed down similar sentences against other people involved, with immediate execution.

These decisions paved the way for the appeal procedure, now underway before the Tunis court.

Accusations linked to the manipulation of legal documents

The prosecutions relate to particularly serious facts: appropriation and theft of documents, destruction and falsification of evidence, as well as manipulation of criminal procedure files and official archives kept in public repositories or entrusted to state agents.

According to the indictment, these actions targeted sensitive documents linked to several security and legal matters.

The investigation was triggered after the discovery of a large volume of documents hidden in a closed office within the Interior Ministry. The first investigating judge of the Ariana court of first instance then took up the case, opening a procedure which would quickly take on a national dimension.

This discovery had rekindled the debate on the management of security archives and on possible attempts to conceal or alter evidence in sensitive files.