 In September 2017, Minister Mehdi Ben Gharbia agreed to stop forced anal tests as proof of homosexuality.Ben Gharbia told "Agence France-Presse" that authorities could still perform anal tests on men suspected of being gay, but "these exams can no longer be imposed by force, physical or moral, or without the consent of the person concerned".Additionally, he said that Tunisia was "committed to protecting the sexual minority from any form of stigmatization, discrimination and violence", adding that "civil society must first be prepared" for such change in a Muslim country.