Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Tunisians Denounce Saied’s Rule as ‘Open-Air Prison’ on Fourth Anniversary

Protesters marched calling for the release of political detainees held under anti-terrorism laws as human rights groups highlight a mounting crackdown.

FILE - Leader of Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party House Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, center, flashes a victory sign as he arrives for questioning at the judicial police headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi, File)
Image
Tunisia's President Kais Saied gestures during his swearing-in ceremony for his second term at the parliament in Tunis, Tunisia October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • Hundreds of activists marched through Tunis on July 25 under the banner "The Republic Is a Large Prison."
  • The protest marked four years since President Kais Saied suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and began ruling by decree.
  • Demonstrators demanded the release of jailed opposition figures, including Rached Ghannouchi and Abir Moussi, held on anti-terrorism and conspiracy charges.
  • Since 2022 Saied has dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council, sacked judges and overseen mass arrests and politically driven trials.
  • Amnesty International and other rights groups report an intensifying crackdown using vague legal justifications to stifle dissent.