Association Shams

[3] In the wake of the Arab Spring, Tunisian LGBT activists, according to interviews conducted by Acconcia, Giuseppe, Et al, published in the journal, Social Movement Studies, said that they took advantage of the "wider space for LGBTQ activism {that} was {becoming} evident" as a result of the "uprisings" and formed groups like Shams, Mawjoudin, and Chouf.

The founder is quoted as stating that he, and by extension the association had, "received more than five thousand death threats" within the first two weeks of the commencement of the operation of the radio station.

[15] Despite the reversal of the initial suspension given to Shams, by the Court of First Instance, the Association continued to be targeted with legal attacks, by Tunisian State Litigator, Kamel Hedhili.

In 2019, Hedhili, filed an appeal against the ruling reversing the initial suspension of Association Shams; again, citing Article 230 of the Tunisian penal code.

[16] This case continued until February 2020, when Tunisia's Court of Cassation ruled in favor of Association Shams and granted the group permanent legal protection.

[16] One of the founders and leading LGBT activists of the organization, Ahmed Ben Amor, faced harassments and death threats upon openly sharing his views and campaigning for the NGO on Tunisian TV in 2016.

The Tunisian authorities argue that the charges against Baatour are in reference to social media posts he disseminated in which disparaging comments regarding Muhammad and Islam were made.

[23] In January 2020, Human Rights Watch published an article demanding that the Tunisian government cease its prosecution efforts against Baatour regarding his comments that were considered offensive to Islam.