Tunisia's Turbulent Political Landscape: A Return to Repression?

Human Rights Watch urges Tunisia to cease using arbitrary detention against opposition figures. The report criticizes President Kais Saied's authoritarian practices since dissolving parliament, highlighting the arrest of dissenters, including politicians and journalists, under conspiracy charges. The government faces backlash for eroding democratic gains from the Arab Spring.

Tunisia's government is under intensified scrutiny following a Human Rights Watch report condemning the use of arbitrary detention to stifle dissent. The organization called for the release of all detainees amidst ongoing trials of opposition figures charged with conspiracy.

The report bolsters concerns about President Kais Saied's increasing authoritarianism since dissolving parliament in 2021. Opposition leaders have labeled his actions a coup, as he tightens his grip over the judiciary. Saied denies these allegations, claiming his actions aim to rescue Tunisia from chaos and corruption.

The crackdown, which began in 2023, has seen dozens of opposition figures, journalists, and activists arrested, raising alarms about the erosion of democratic freedoms won in the 2011 Arab Spring. Key leaders, including Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi, remain detained as political trials continue.

(With inputs from agencies.)