Those accused of terrorism are often given ‘preferential treatment’, a.k.a. brutal arrests, torture, systematic incarceration in degrading conditions regardless of the severity of the offence, etc. When they are subsequently thrown into prison without being distinguished from ordinary prisoners, a radicalisation machine is set in motion inside the prison cells.

Should Tunisian ex-combatants of the Islamic State be repatriated en masse in order to be brought to justice? This is a divisive issue in Tunisia. For many this would be entirely out of the question. Given the widely differing estimates, it would be tricky to try to present an exact number of potential returnees*, thus the National Security Council has decided that for the time being, only a few individuals will be repatriated. However, the challenge remains in the inability to guarantee a fair trial.

Following the two terrorist attacks in Ghriba and Soliman (2002 and 2007 respectively), the propagated image of terrorism not being native to Tunisia was shattered. In 2011, a general amnesty for all political prisoners (including those involved in the Soliman attack) further contributed to the already fragile security situation. Between political negligence and tightened security, the handling of terrorism-related cases in Tunisia over the past two decades provides necessary insight for understanding the precarious situation today.