Watan-Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that Tunisian authorities have turned “arbitrary detention” into a cornerstone of their “repressive” policy by arresting dozens of opposition figures.
In a report published on Wednesday, the organization confirmed the government’s “increasing reliance on arbitrary detention and politically motivated prosecutions to intimidate, punish, and silence its critics.”
Human Rights Watch documented the cases of 22 individuals “detained on arbitrary charges,” including terrorism, due to their public statements or political activities. Among them are lawyers, political opponents, activists, journalists, social media users, and human rights defenders.
Tunisia’s Mass Trial Deepens Fears of Political Repression
The report coincides with the trial of about 40 prominent figures in the country, some of whom are critics of President Kais Saied, on charges including “conspiring against state security.”
Many of the accused were arrested in February 2023, with Saied describing them as “terrorists” and “conspirators.”
In 2021, Saied seized control of all state powers. Since then, human rights organizations have raised concerns about the erosion of freedoms in Tunisia, once considered the birthplace of what was called the “Arab Spring.”
Bassam Khawaja, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, stated in the report: “Not since the 2011 revolution have Tunisian authorities launched such repressive campaigns.”
The organization said authorities have relied on “a set of hostile legal tools, including baseless security and terrorism charges,” under the “Penal Code” and the “2015 Anti-Terrorism Law,” which grants security forces broad surveillance and monitoring powers and allows suspects to be detained for up to 15 days.
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