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End human rights backsliding in Tunisia
Tunisia is facing a human rights crisis. Since President Saied’s power grab on 25 July 2021, Tunisian authorities have launched an escalating assault on the rule of law and human rights, undermining the rights to freedom of expression and association as well as fair trial rights. Authorities also trampled upon migrants, refugees and asylum seekers’ rights.
What is the problem?
In the four years since President Kais Saied’s power grab on 25 July 2021, Tunisian authorities have aggressively rolled back the human rights progress achieved in the country following the 2011 Revolution. Since the end of 2022, over 80 people, including members of the political opposition, judges, lawyers, journalists, trade unionists, human rights defenders and activists have been subjected to unjust prosecutions and/or arbitrary detention solely for exercising their rights, such as the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
The authorities have taken several measures to undermine the independence of the judiciary. In 2022, President Saied dissolved the High Judicial Council and arbitrarily dismissed 57 judges and prosecutors by presidential order.
Tunisian authorities have increasingly restricted civic space. Following repeated statements by officials vilifying civil society organizations through accusations of corruption and treason, the authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on civil society organizations supporting refugees and migrants in May 2024. Since then, they have raided at least three organizations working on migration, arresting and detaining at least eight civil society organization workers and human rights defenders.
Following President Saied’s discriminatory remarks against migrants in February 2023, hundreds of migrants and refugees have been assaulted, evicted, or arbitrarily arrested with total impunity. Between June 2023 and May 2024, the Tunisian National Guard, military, and police together summarily and collectively expelled at least 10,000 refugees and migrants to neighbouring Algeria and Libya. These expulsions were strongly associated with a pattern of torture and other ill-treatment.
What can you do to help?
Act now and urge the Tunisian authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained, end the escalating crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, refrain from compromising judicial independence and uphold the rule of law and the rights of migrants and refugees.