Chaima Issa is a Tunisian writer, political activist, trade unionist and prominent defender of democracy and human rights who has been repeatedly prosecuted and detained for her peaceful opposition to President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power. A member of the National Salvation Front and a vocal critic of authoritarianism in Tunisia, she became one of the most recognisable opposition figures targeted in the wide-ranging crackdown against political opponents, journalists, lawyers and civil society activists following President Kais Saied’s suspension of parliament and assumption of exceptional powers in July 2021. Issa was arrested on 22 February 2023 in connection with the so-called “conspiracy against state security” case after publicly criticising the government and participating in opposition activities. She was subsequently detained for several months and became the first woman widely described by observers as a political prisoner under President Kais Saied’s rule. In parallel to the conspiracy case, military authorities prosecuted her before a military court for statements made in media interviews criticising the president and discussing the role of the army in political affairs. On 13 December 2023, the Tunis Military Court sentenced her to one year in prison on charges including “offending the president”, “spreading false news” and “inciting military personnel to disobedience”. In October 2024, the military appeal court reduced the sentence to six months suspended. Human rights organisations condemned the use of military courts against civilians and described the proceedings as a serious violation of freedom of expression and fair trial guarantees. Chaima Issa remained one of the central civilian defendants in the mass conspiracy trial targeting opposition figures, lawyers, journalists and activists accused of plotting against state security in what numerous international organisations characterised as a politically motivated prosecution. On 19 April 2025, Tunisian courts issued heavy prison sentences against several defendants in the case amid growing concern regarding judicial independence and repression in Tunisia. On 29 November 2025, plainclothes police officers arrested Chaima Issa during a protest in Tunis defending civil liberties after the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld a 20-year prison sentence against her in the conspiracy case. According to lawyers and witnesses, she was apprehended in the street shortly after participating in demonstrations denouncing authoritarianism and attacks on fundamental freedoms. Prior to her arrest, Chaima Issa publicly denounced the charges as politically motivated and called on Tunisians to continue peaceful protest against repression. Beyond her political activism, Chaima Issa is also known for her engagement in women’s rights advocacy, democratic reform and social justice causes, making her one of the most visible female opposition voices targeted by the Tunisian authorities in recent years.