Rights Groups Condemn Tunisia Over Crackdown on Activists

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say civil liberties in Tunisia have sharply deteriorated under President Kais Saied, accusing authorities of intensifying their crackdown on opposition figures, activists and NGOs. The groups report increasing use of arrests, detention, asset freezes and court-ordered suspensions against organisations alleged to have received “suspicious” foreign funding.

Amnesty says the clampdown has reached an unprecedented level, highlighting the prosecution of six workers from the Tunisian Council for Refugees on charges linked to their work with asylum seekers. A session of their trial, originally set for 16 October, has been postponed to 24 November. At least 14 Tunisian and international NGOs have had their activities temporarily suspended in recent months.

Human Rights Watch says the Tunis Court of Appeal will on 17 November hear the appeal of more than 30 people handed heavy sentences in April in what it describes as a politically motivated “Conspiracy Case”. Four detainees are on hunger strike, including one whose lawyers say was physically assaulted in prison on 11 November.

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The 37 defendants include opposition leaders, lawyers and activists, with sentences ranging from four to 66 years for alleged “conspiracy against state security” and terrorism offences. Among those detained is Jawhar Ben Mbarek, cofounder of the National Salvation Front, who began a hunger strike on 29 October. Senior opposition figures including Issam Chebbi and Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi have also joined the hunger protest while serving prison terms.