EU, US voice concern at surge of repression in Tunisia

The EU and the US have denounced Tunisian government following the recent spate of arrests of lawyers, journalists and opposition politicians.

The EU said it was concerned with the arbitrary arrests, after France 24 filmed live the arrest of lawyers Mahdi Zagrouba and Sonia Dahmani, who were seeking refuge in the Bar association in Tunis.

The raids were “”inconsistent with what we think are universal rights that are explicitly guaranteed in the Tunisian constitution and we have been clear about at all levels,” US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.

The Tunisian political class is sensing tough days ahead as Tunisia backpedals into its autocratic past.

The Tunisian regime under Kais Saied is doubling down by arresting two IFM radio journalists Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaiss.

The arrest of dissidents is seen as a way to pave the way for a second term by Kais Saied, whose leadership eroded Tunisia’s social, financial and political stability.

Earlier, Saadia Mosbah, a pro-migrant rights activist and Tunisian dissident, was arrested on charges of money laundering, which she denied.

Her arrest came as Tunisian authorities- encouraged by Kais Saied racist rhetoric- engage in violent raids targeting migrants, thousands of whom are abandoned in harsh conditions on the Algerian and Libyan borders.

In 2023, more than 30 journalists were arrested as the country continues to send opposition figures to jail to empty the political arena ahead of October presidential elections.