In Tunisia, human rights activists, including Chaima Issa, are being arrested following controversial mass trials that sentenced around 40 critics to severe charges like 'conspiracy against state security'. This crackdown follows protests denouncing the systematic curtailment of free speech since President Kais Saied's 2021 power grab.

The debate centers on the legitimacy of the arrests. Critics claim the detentions are arbitrary, citing arrests occurring during public protests rather than at residences. Authorities frame their actions as enforcing the strict sentences handed down by the courts. Meanwhile, in Cameroon, Amnesty International reports that 36 appeals filed with the Supreme Court since 2022 lack any ruling, suggesting judicial delay.

The overwhelming consensus is that state power is actively suppressing dissent across both nations. The fault lines appear where activist accounts directly challenge the judicial process—accusing it of being unfair or deliberately slow—while international bodies note violations of fair trial rights, such as trying civilians in military courts.