Tunisian Authorities Crack Down on OppositionTunisian Authorities Crack Down on Opposition On July 13, 2024, Tunisian authorities arrested three members of the opposition Ennahdha party: Secretary-General Ajmi Ouirimi, Mohamed Ghanoudi, and Mosaab Gharbi. The arrests took place during a routine roadside ID check. Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, condemned the arrests as “outrageous” and an attempt to “undermine the political opposition.” She called for the release of the arrested individuals unless they are charged with a recognized criminal offense. The arrests come amidst a broader crackdown on dissent in Tunisia. Over the past year, several members of opposition groups have been arrested, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi. The human rights situation in Tunisia has deteriorated significantly since President Kais Saied seized power in 2023. Institutional safeguards have been dismantled, the judiciary has lost its independence, and critics of the president face persecution. Amnesty International urged Tunisian authorities to end their crackdown on dissent and respect human rights. The upcoming presidential elections on October 6, 2024, provide an opportunity for the government to reverse its repressive path and place human rights at the heart of its policies.
Tunisian authorities stepped up their crackdown on the political opposition on 13 July 2024, when police arrested Ennahdha Secretary-General Ajmi Ouirimi in Mannouba Governorate, along with two other party members, Mohamed Ghanoudi and Mosaab Gharbi, during what appeared to be a routine roadside ID check. They remain in custody without charge. In response, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said:
“It is outrageous to see the Tunisian authorities trampling on people’s rights in their attempt to undermine the political opposition. Ajmi Ouirimi, Mohamed Ghanoudi and Mosaab Gharbi had no prior knowledge of any investigation or search warrant against them when they were arrested by the Tunisian National Guard. Their lawyers were not allowed to meet with them for 48 hours and have so far been denied access to the case file or details of the charges against their clients.
“These arrests are particularly worrying in the run-up to the upcoming presidential elections. The Tunisian authorities must inform Ajmi Ouirimi, Mohamed Ghanoudi and Mosaab Gharbi of the reasons for their arrest and grant them immediate access to legal counsel. They must release them immediately unless they are charged with a recognized criminal offense, in line with international standards. Failure to do so would indicate that this is yet another politically motivated case aimed at silencing dissent.
“The Tunisian authorities must end their disrespect for human rights and their brutal crackdown on opponents. From arbitrary arrests of critical journalists, lawyers, activists and politicians to the systematic undermining of the independence of the judiciary, authorities must reverse this repressive path and place human rights at the heart of government.”
Background
Over the past year, Tunisian authorities have stepped up their crackdown on dissent, using baseless charges against prominent opposition figures and other critics. Several members of opposition political groups have been arrested, including several high-ranking members of the Ennahdha party, such as its leader Rached Ghannouchi, who has been in custody since April 18, 2023, Noureddine Lebhiri, and others who face politically motivated charges.
Presidential elections will be held in Tunisia on 6 October 2024. Human rights in Tunisia have continued to deteriorate, almost three years after President Kais Saied seized power. Since then, institutional safeguards for the protection of human rights have been dismantled, the judiciary has lost its guarantees of independence, and courts have increasingly cracked down on critics of the president using repressive laws, as respect for the right to freedom of expression has declined. Civil society organisations’ offices have been raided, with their members arrested or prosecuted.
