Human Rights Watch alerts to Tunisia’s authoritarian drift under President Saied

With thousands jailed for expressing dissent, destroyed checks and balances and an undermined civil society, Tunisia has backpedaled to autocracy following a crackdown on civil liberties by a president bent on continuing his power grab, Human Rights Watch said.

“Tunisia experienced further regression in terms of human rights and the rule of law during 2023 in the absence of genuine checks and balances on President Kais Saied’s power… The government has taken new steps to muzzle free speech, prosecute dissent, and crack down on migrants and asylum seekers,” the international rights watchdog said in a recent report.

“Over the past year, President Saied jailed dozens of his opponents and critics, fueled racism and xenophobia against Black migrants and refugees, and threatened the activities of civil society,” the report quoted Salsabil Chellali, Tunisia director at Human Rights Watch, as saying.

Within a year, Tunisian authorities stepped up crackdown on dissent, arresting and prosecuting lawyers, activists and journalists.

At least 40 opponents or individuals deemed critical of the authorities were behind bars as of December, with most of them accused of “conspiracy against state security” or dubious terrorism related charges, often merely for their peaceful speech or activism, according to the report.

The authorities have also used a recent cybercrime decree-law, which imposes heavy prison sentences for spreading “fake news” and “rumors” online, to arbitrarily detain, prosecute, or investigate at least 21 people for speech offenses, in one case before a military court, it said.

Black Africans suffered persecution after xenophobic statements by the country’s president, which unleashed a wave of aggressions on migrants across the country, HRW recalled.