Tunisian activists gathered on Tuesday outside a court in Tunis, where notable individuals are facing allegations of conspiring against state security. The opposition claims that this trial is a fabrication and represents a hallmark of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian governance.
Human rights organizations assert that the trial underscores Saied’s complete dominance over the judiciary, a situation that arose after he disbanded the elected parliament in 2021 and began governing by decree, subsequently dissolving the independent Supreme Judicial Council.
The case involves forty defendants, including prominent politicians, business leaders, and journalists, with over twenty having sought refuge abroad.
In 2023, a significant crackdown on opposition figures led to the arrest of several politicians, including Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbrak, Abdelhamid Jlassi, and Khyam Turki. Among those accused are Nadia Akacha, the former presidential chief of staff, and Kamel Guizani, the former head of intelligence, both of whom currently reside abroad.
Bassam Trifi, the president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, described the situation as one of the most significant judicial scandals, labeling it as one of the gravest injustices in Tunisia’s history.
President Saied characterized these politicians as “traitors and terrorists” in 2023, asserting that the judges who cleared them were complicit in their actions.
Opposition leaders detained in this case accuse Saied of orchestrating a coup in 2021, asserting that the charges are fabricated to suppress dissent and establish an authoritarian regime.
They claim to be working on an initiative to unify the divided opposition in response to the democratic decline in the birthplace of the Arab Spring movements.
Chaima Issa, a prominent figure in the Salvation Front, the leading opposition coalition, is one of eight individuals appearing before the judge while currently free during the trial’s initial session.
“This trial is unjust and a disgrace to the authorities. It is a purely political case that has involved all political leaders,” Issa stated to Reuters prior to the hearing.
“Our offense is opposing the regime. I will persist in the struggle at any cost,” she emphasized.
Many political party leaders in Tunisia are incarcerated, including Abir Moussi, head of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahda party, both of whom have been imprisoned since 2023 on separate charges.
The government maintains that democracy exists in Tunisia, with Saied asserting that he will not become a dictator, while also stating that no one is above the law and that the so-called corrupt elite must face accountability.
