Tunisian civil society is grappling with escalating repression, raising concerns among international human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Since President Kais Saied assumed power in 2019, Tunisia has experienced a notable decline in civil liberties, exemplified by the government’s increasingly aggressive crackdown on activists and organizations championing human rights. This shift from the optimism of the Arab Spring towards a climate of fear poses significant risks to the nation’s democratic aspirations.
International NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have raised alarms over the decline of civil liberties in Tunisia under President Kais Saied’s administration. Since Saied came to power in 2019, authorities have intensified their efforts to suppress dissent, targeting opposition groups, human rights defenders, and foreign NGOs. Amnesty International noted that the government is employing arbitrary arrests, financial restrictions, and court-ordered suspensions, all framed as necessary actions to combat “suspicious” foreign funding and protect national interests.
According to Amnesty, the crackdown on civil society in Tunisia has reached unprecedented levels. The ongoing prosecution of six NGO workers and human rights defenders from the Tunisian Council for Refugees illustrates this troubling trend, as they face criminal charges solely for their support of refugees and asylum seekers. A trial set for October 16 was postponed to November 24, raising further questions about the fairness and transparency of the legal process.
This situation starkly contrasts with the initial democratic hopes following the Arab Spring in 2011, when Tunisia emerged as a beacon of potential democratic governance. However, a significant power grab in July 2021 saw Saied dissolve parliament and assume sweeping powers, allowing him to govern by decree. This power shift has resulted in the jailing of many critics and the establishment of laws curtailing free expression, including a controversial “fake news” law enacted later that same year.
Amnesty International disclosed that in recent months, the Tunisian government temporarily suspended the operations of at least 14 domestic and international NGOs, targeting organizations such as the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women and the World Organization against Torture. While individual activists continue to face repression, Human Rights Watch stated that a mass trial known as the “Conspiracy Case” is set to be reviewed, where over 30 individuals were sentenced to severe prison terms based on politically motivated charges.
Among the detainees are prominent figures including Jawhar Ben Mbarek, co-founder of Tunisia’s National Salvation Front, who initiated a hunger strike to protest his arbitrary detention. The severity of sentences in the mass trial varies from four to 66 years for charges relating to conspiracy and terrorism. Opposition leaders, including Issam Chebbi and Rached Ghannouchi, have expressed solidarity through hunger strikes, demanding an end to these harsh measures.
Human Rights Watch calls for international partners to intervene, urging them to denounce these injustices and advocate for the restoration of rule of law and due process in Tunisia. The repression of free expression poses serious implications for Tunisia’s democratic future and its ability to foster a thriving civil society.
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