Souhayr Belhassen is a Tunisian journalist, writer, and ardent human rights advocate who has dedicated her career to amplifying marginalized voices. With a background in political science, she worked as a correspondent for Reuters and Jeune Afrique, where she first highlighted the strong Islamist component within Tunisian society in 1978. As an activist, Belhassen led a notable campaign for the Ligue Tunisienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH) to save 18 young Tunisians from execution after the 1984 bread riots.

Co-authoring Bourguiba, a banned biography of the former Tunisian premier with Sophie Bessis, she also wrote Femmes du Maghreb, which examines the status of women across North Africa. Her outspoken support for Algerian women in 1993 led to her expulsion from Tunisia for five years.

After returning, Belhassen founded the magazine 7sur7, which closed after facing government interference. Over her career, she has endured physical attacks by plain-clothes police and ongoing surveillance as a human rights defender. She has taken significant roles internationally, particularly in women’s rights, as coordinator of the FIDH’s women’s rights group. Within LTDH, the Arab world’s oldest human rights organization, Belhassen became vice president in 2000 and was elected president of the FIDH in 2007, re-elected in 2010. Throughout her journey, Belhassen has shown unwavering commitment to justice, advocating for fundamental rights in Tunisia and beyond.