Tunisia: Kais Saied paves way for his re-election with repression

As Tunisia braces for presidential elections in December 2024, a fog of repression looms over the country that was once the Arab Spring’s success story before it backpedaled to autocracy under a president intent on staying in power.

President Kais Saied destroyed the democracy ladder that brought him to power starting a gradual power grab that undermined checks and balances, while pursuing a ruthless oppression against critics and journalists.

In 2023, 30 journalists were arrested in Tunisia, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

“President Kais Saied’s latest wave of repression appears to be intricately linked to the upcoming presidential elections in Tunisia,” Marwa Murad, spokesperson of the Swiss human rights organization Committee for Justice, told DW.

This week, Mohamed Boughalleb was the latest journalist to be jailed in the country for criticizing the ministry of religious affairs.

Many analysts see that in the absence of tangible economic gains, Kais Saied will resort to repression to maintain his power grab on the cash-strapped country.

The Algerian early elections on September and Tebboune’s quest for a second term will also embolden Saied to follow suit.