Tunisia: HRW decries intensified crackdown on political opposition & civil society

Human Rights Watch has denounced in its 2025 report the escalating repression of critical voices in Tunisia of Kais Saied, saying the authorities undermined the integrity of the October presidential election and carried out politically motivated arrests & arbitrary detentions of prospective challengers before the vote.

“It is clear that Tunisian authorities deployed all their efforts to silence, prosecute, and imprison President Kais Saied’s critics and opponents in order to favor his re-election,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy MENA director at HRW.

The Tunisian security bodies have simultaneously targeted members of civil society and the media who dared question his policies, effectively tightening the noose around Tunisia’s hard-won civic space.

As of November, over 80 people were detained on political grounds or for exercising their rights, including political opponents, activists, lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders, and social media users.

Security forces continued abuses against migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees with impunity, as denounced by the UN in October. Deaths at sea of refugees and migrants fleeing to Europe continued.

In May, authorities arbitrarily arrested members of organizations providing aid to asylum seekers and refugees. The European Union continued support to Tunisian authorities for migration control purposes despite ongoing violations.

Tunisia is still facing an economic crisis with high public debt and inflation, affecting economic, social, and cultural rights. As of June, at least several hundred people were in prison solely for writing checks they were later unable to pay, however a new law adopted in July introduced important reforms and paved the way for the release of more than 500 people.

Human Rights Watch called on Tunisian authorities to release those arbitrarily detained and allow civil society organizations and the media to operate freely.