Hundreds of Tunisians took to the streets of the capital, Tunis, on Saturday to protest against the government under the banner “opposition is not a crime,” demanding the release of jailed activists.
The demonstration followed the recent arrests of three opposition figures convicted of “conspiracy” against the state. Protesters carried portraits of those detained, calling attention to what they see as a growing crackdown on dissent.
Tunisia, which transitioned to democracy after the Arab Spring, has faced criticism from rights groups since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab, with many warning of a rollback on freedoms. Dozens of Saied’s critics have been prosecuted or jailed, often under terrorism-related charges or a 2022 law criminalizing the “spreading of false news.”
“Since the coup, things have changed completely. We’ve seen our freedoms taken away gradually, even though we did have a revolution,” said Hager Chebbi, daughter of opposition figure Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, one of those recently arrested. “It’s a descent into hell.”
Amnesty International condemned the arrests and trials as part of a “blind and repressive escalation” against dissenting voices. Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa spokesperson, Ahmed Benchemsi, added, “Fifteen years after the revolution, it is as if dictatorship has officially marked its return.”
