Overview

• Human Rights Watch highlights Tunisia's expanded use of arbitrary detention to silence critics since President Kais Saied's 2021 consolidation of power.
• Prominent opposition leaders, including Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi, remain imprisoned on charges such as terrorism and conspiracy.
• Detainees face prolonged pretrial detention, inadequate medical care, and inhumane conditions, with some held under constant surveillance or denied basic accommodations.
• The government's use of counterterrorism laws, vague charges, and judicial harassment has undermined judicial independence and fair trial rights.
• International human rights groups urge Tunisia's global partners to pressure the government to halt its repressive practices and release political prisoners.