Thirty opposition figures deemed critical of President Kais Saied have been arrested in recent months, according to Human Rights Watch.
Tunisia is accused of using “justice as a tool of repression” crackdown on the opposition aroused strong criticism from human rights organisations.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday condemned the arrests of Ennahdha members, warning that the government “was preparing to neutralize the country’s largest political party”.
Seventeen current or former members of Ennahdha have been arrested since December, bringing the total number of arrests of opposition figures considered critical of President Kais Saied to 30, HRW reported.
Saied, who was backed by Ennahdha when he became president in 2019, dissolved the democratically elected parliament in July 2021 and has since seized more powers, changing the country’s constitution. His opponents call his maneuvers a “coup”.
THE families of political detainees campaigned on their behalf, recently calling on the European Union to sanction several government officials.
Amnesty International also condemned the growing crackdown in Tunisia this week, adding four people had joined the at least 17 dissidents being investigated “on baseless ‘conspiracy’ charges”. Twelve people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, according to Amnesty.
Those targeted include members of opposition parties, political activists and lawyers, Amnesty said.
“Tunisian authorities have already sufficiently undermined the right to freedom of expression and the rule of law by arbitrarily detaining dissidents on baseless charges,” said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s director on Tuesday. the Middle East and North Africa. .
“They should urgently close this investigation, immediately release all those who have been detained in connection with it, and end their instrumentalization of justice as a tool of repression,” she said.
Like Said authoritarian turn digs deeper, here is a list of some of the opposition figures targeted in recent months and the charges they face:
Rached Ghannouchi
- Leader of the Ennahdha party
- Arrested April 17 for “inciting statements,” authorities said, ostensibly in a video in which he made comments warning of the risk of civil war if Tunisia’s various political currents, including political Islam and the leftists, were excluded from the Tunisian political fabric.
- Accused of conspiracy against state security
- Held in prison on remand
- Has been interviewed in 19 investigations in the past 18 months, according to HRW
Ali Larayedh
- Vice President of Ennahdha and former Prime Minister
- Facing lawsuits for failing to fight extremist groups and violence enough when in power from 2011 to 2014, according to HRW
- Detained since December without being brought before a judge
Nourredine Bhiri
- A deputy leader of the Ennahdha party and former Minister of Justice
- Arrested on February 13 for trying to ‘change the nature of the state’, his lawyer Amine Bouker told HRW
- The accusation stems from a Facebook post urging Tunisians to demonstrate against Saied on January 14, the anniversary of the day former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted. His lawyers said he did not write the message, according to HRW.
Said Ferjani
- A leader of Ennahdha who was in parliament before it was dissolved by Saied
- Arrested on February 27 in an investigation into the digital content production company Instalingo, according to HRW
- The state prosecutor charged Instalingo with inciting violence and defaming Saied, HRW said.
- His family and lawyer told HRW he was not affiliated with the company.
mohamed mzoughi
- Ennahdha Public Relations Manager
- Arrested March 9 on conspiracy against state security and ‘terrorism’-related charges for alleged role in running social media pages critical of Saied’s regime, according to HRW
Mohamed Saleh Bouallagui
- General Secretary of Ennahdha
- Arrested March 10 on conspiracy against state security and ‘terrorism’-related charges for alleged role in running social media pages critical of Saied’s regime, same charges as Mzoughi, according to HRW
Mohammad Bin Salem
- A former Ennahdha leader and former agriculture minister
- Arrested on March 3 and accused of “constituting an organization aimed at preparing and committing the offense of illegal exit from Tunisian territory” and of “holding sums of money in foreign currency”, according to HRW
- Has lost the ability to walk and had two strokes since his arrest, his family and lawyer told HRW
Hammam Ayachi
- Lawyer who represented opposition leaders is being investigated in case targeting 17 people for conspiracy, Amnesty says
- Is now among the defendants in this case
- Also being investigated under a cybercrime law for publicly criticizing authorities, Amnesty says
Bohra Belhaj Hamida
- Feminist lawyer and co-founder and former president of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
- Former politician in the Assembly of People’s Representatives, the legislative branch of the Tunisian government
- Among the 17 defendants in the criminal association investigation
Nejib Chebbi
- Leader of the Tunisian National Salvation Front, an opposition alliance co-founded by Ennahdha
- Organized regular protests against Saied for months
- Among the 17 defendants in the criminal association investigation
- Also under investigation since January alongside other activists accused of assaulting public security officers and insulting the president