On 12 June 2025 legal professionals, bar association representatives, academics, human rights advocates, and journalists from around the world gathered online and in person in Brussels, Belgium to participate in the 2025 International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) Conference and Ebru Timtik Award focused on Tunisia.
This year, the spotlight was on Tunisia, where the independence of the judiciary, the legal profession, and human rights safeguards are under urgent threat – resulting in a dismantling of respect for fair trial rights. The situation for lawyers and judges has significantly deteriorated, marked by declining judicial independence, increased harassment, arrests and prosecutions of legal professionals for exercising their right to freedom of expression and simply doing their job. Simultaneously, the Tunisian civic space is shrinking, with human rights defenders and NGOs being silenced. Many judges, lawyers and journalists are in prison denied their right to a fair trial or access to a lawyer and are ultimately facing judges who are put under pressure by the state. Sustained pressure from the international community and solidarity and support for the Tunisian legal professions are crucial to improve the human rights situation in Tunisia. The 2025 IFTD sought to provide a concrete opportunity for dialogue and strategic analysis of policy and systemic conditions regarding the right to a fair trial.
The full report is available here.
Steering Group members who contributed to the planning, organisation, and delivery of the 2025 IFTD Conference are:
- Avocats Européens Démocrates / European Democratic Lawyers
- Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC)
- Bologna Bar Association
- Conseil national des barreaux / French National Bar Council (CNB)
- Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği / Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD)
- Défense Sans Frontières – Avocats Solidaires (DSF- AS)
- European Association of Lawyers / Fédération des Barreaux d’Europe(FBE)
- European Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH)
- International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
- Lawyers for Lawyers
- National Bar Council of Italy (CNF)
- Observatoire International Des Avocats En Danger / International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger (OIAD)
- Özgürlük İçin Hukukçular Derneği / Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD)
- Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein e.V. / Republican Lawyers Association (RAV)
- Law Society of England and Wales (LSEW); and the
- Union Internationale des Avocats / International Lawyers Association – Institute for the Rule of Law (UIA- IROL).
The Steering Group members also express their gratitude to the partner organisations that supported the organisation of the Conference, including:
- Institute of Human Rights of the Brussels Bar
- Faculté de droit de l’Université libre de Bruxelles / Faculty of Law of the Free University of Brussels
- Euro-Med Rights
- Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), and the
- Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe / Conseil des barreaux européens (CCBE).
Their exceptional support was instrumental, and the event could not have taken place without it. The Steering Group members also extend their sincere thanks to the organisations that provided financial support for the 2025 IFTD Conference, including the Lyon Bar Association, the Nante Bar Association, the Nanterre Bar Association, the Swiss Democratic Lawyers and Tony Fisher. Their contributions were essential to the success of this year’s event.
Image: © Hassen Mrad
