First Independent Mena Newspaper
Tunisia’s economic prospects have taken a hit as the World Bank revised its growth forecast downward, projecting a modest 1.9% expansion in 2025, down from an earlier estimate of 2.2%. The outlook for the following years is even more subdued, with growth expected to slow to 1.6% in 2026 and 1.7% in 2027. The downgrade […]
A Tunisian criminal court specializing in terrorism has handed down on Tuesday a 37-year prison sentence to a young man convicted in absentia, following a complaint lodged by a sitting female Member of Parliament. The charges stem from a series of Facebook posts made by the defendant, which were deemed inflammatory and threatening. The posts […]
Tunisia exported 107.9 thousand tons of dates during the first seven months of the 2024–2025 season, i.e. from the beginning of the campaign in October 2024 to the end of April 2025, according to data from the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI). Comparing this to the 114.7 thousand tons exported during the same period last […]
Former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh was handed a 34-year prison sentence by a Tunisian court for allegedly facilitating the flight of fighters to Syria, a charge he vehemently disputes. In response to what he and his Ennahdha party have described as a politically motivated prosecution, Larayedh told the judge”I was neither sympathetic, nor complicit, nor […]
Human Rights Watch has called on the European Union to break its silence and publicly condemn the deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia. The EU member states should stop pretending they can satisfy their immediate interests by cozying up with an increasingly repressive leadership in Tunis, said HRW in its latest press release. The Tunisian […]
Authorities in Tunisia have ramped up security measures on the island of Djerba following an axe attack on a local Jewish jeweler, just days before the island hosts its annual Lag B’Omer pilgrimage. The victim, a 50-year-old shop owner, sustained defensive injuries and was admitted to hospital on Thursday, May 8, though he is expected […]
In a move widely interpreted as a deepening of Tunisia’s authoritarian drift, the state has opened on Tuesday May 6 a second sweeping trial against 22 opposition figures, accusing them of conspiring against national security. The new trial comes weeks after a separate mass trial jailed nearly 40 people. The proceedings, dubbed Conspiracy Against State […]
Tunisian President’s opponents took to the streets on May Day to decry what they describe as a dangerous slide into autocracy. The marchers chanted slogans calling for Saied’s departure and invoking memories of the 2011 revolution. Workers’ Day thus took a political turn against President Kaïs Saïed, who is accused of failing to curb poverty […]
The Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors has announced plans for stage a nationwide strike and protest march on May 2, in response to the breakdown of negotiations with the Ministry of Health. Talks held on Monday, April 28, reportedly failed to yield any meaningful outcomes, despite ministry officials acknowledging the legitimacy of the doctors’ grievances. […]
Human Rights Watch has denounced the harsh and unfair sentences issued lately by a Tunisian court against political opponents of the authoritarian regime of Kais Saeid. Prison sentences of up to 66 years were handed down to 37 politicians, businessmen, and lawyers in politically-motivated sham trials, said HRW, decrying quash unfair proceedings. The Tunis Court […]