More than 100 members of Tunisia’s main opposition party have been arrested ahead of the start of the country’s election campaign season, reports Middle East Eye. The Ennahda party described the arrests as “an unprecedented campaign of raids and violations of the most basic rights guaranteed by law” and said 116 members had been arrested, including Mohamed Guelwi, a member of the party’s executive committee, and Mohamed Ali Boukhatim, a regional party leader.
Human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) have accused President Kais Saied, who has been in office since 2019, of prosecuting and excluding potential candidates for the presidential election in an attempt to secure his re-election.
Saied has gradually tightened his grip on power using measures described as a constitutional coup, including dissolving parliament in 2021 and seizing judicial powers, allowing him to rule by decree.
In recent years, many opposition figures have been jailed, including Ayachi Zammel, one of only two presidential candidates permitted to run against Saied in the forthcoming 6 October election, who was arrested last week.
Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi, has been imprisoned since April 2023 for comments deemed critical of Saied.
On Friday, protesters gathered in Tunis to demonstrate against Saied and his policies.
Activists chanted slogans such as “Out with dictator Saied” and “No fear, no terror, streets belong to the people”.
“We are in the street to defend freedoms and rights which are at real risk”, Bassam Trifi, the head of the Human Rights League, told Reuters.
“The electoral commission should respect the court ruling and end restrictions against candidates. Otherwise, it means an undemocratic election.”
