Washington warns Tunis to respect freedom of expression, essential to U.S.-Tunisia relationship
The United States has called on Tunisia’s Kais Saied to respect the freedom of opinion and expression, and voiced concern over the latest wave of arrests of political opponents including former Speaker of Parliament and leader of Tunisia’s largest opposition Ennahdha party, Rached Ghannouchi.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said “the arrests by the Tunisian government of political opponents and critics are fundamentally at odds with the principles Tunisians adopted in a constitution that explicitly guarantees freedom of opinion, thought, and expression.”
The arrest on Monday of former Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi, the closure of the Nahda party headquarters, and the banning of meetings held by certain opposition groups represent “a troubling escalation” by the Tunisian government against opponents, added the statement.
The State Department warned the Tunisian government that “its obligation to respect freedom of expression and other human rights is larger than any individual or political party, and is essential to a vibrant democracy and to the U.S.-Tunisia relationship.”
In a letter sent lately to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a group of U.S. congressmen voiced “grave concern following Tunisian President Kais Saied’s intensified crackdown against his perceived political opposition in recent weeks, a stark acceleration in Tunisia’s autocratic consolidation.”
Since February 11, 2023, “President Saied has overseen a wave of politically-motivated arrests that have targeted activists, former ministers and members of parliament, senior political party figures, judges, lawyers, businesspeople, and members of the media, in apparent retribution for exercising their basic right to free expression”, underlined the U.S. lawmakers.
The EU has also expressed deep concern over deteriorating political situation in Tunisia following the arrest of opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi and closure of the Headquarters of Ennahda party.
