Specialists and members of the family of these arrested say the North African nation isn’t any extra an Arab Spring success story.
London, England – After the Arab Spring protests within the early 2010s, Tunisia skilled a quick spell of democracy.
However that modified in July 2021 when President Kais Saied froze parliament and sacked the federal government in a dramatic transfer.
Since then, the North African nation has seen an intense crackdown on opposition leaders, critics and activists.
Since February this yr, greater than 20 individuals – together with opposition politicians, journalists and enterprise figures – have been arrested beneath numerous prices corresponding to “plotting in opposition to state safety” and “terrorism”.
Amongst these arrested are Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist Ennahdha occasion, its member Stated Ferjani, and outstanding radio journalist Zied el-Heni, who many consider penned the time period the “Jasmine Revolution”.
Whereas freedom of speech and media have been crucial positive aspects for Tunisians after the Arab Spring revolution led to the overthrow of then-leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, activists and journalists say these freedoms are threatened beneath Saied’s rule.
Talking at a discussion board in London on post-Arab Spring Tunisia on Friday, Maha Azzam, head of the Egyptian revolutionary council, mentioned, “Tunisians and Arabs have identified nothing however tyranny for many years apart from a brief hiatus within the Arab Spring.”
Azzam mentioned what is occurring in Tunisia just isn’t in contrast to different post-revolution international locations the place vested pursuits keep away from political accountability by a regime of oppression.
“The Arab Spring was spherical one. It was an intifada for those who like. It was an rebellion, it was an incomplete revolution, however there might be different cycles like with different revolutions. It was peaceable, and I hope it should stay peaceable,” she mentioned.
Soumaya Ghannouchi, daughter of the jailed Ennahdha chief, mentioned Saied “robbed the Tunisians of the hard-won freedoms”.
“You’re hounded by your sick suspicions, your energy, greed, your concern. Ghannouchi haunts you,” she mentioned in a message to the Tunisian president. “Attempt as you could, you’ll by no means lock Ghannouchi away. You’re the prisoner, not him.”
Soumaya added: “He [Saied] gave them [Tunisians] not solely dictatorship but in addition poverty and state chapter.”
Tunisia’s financial disaster has been worsened by stalled talks with the Worldwide Financial Fund for a mortgage of $1.9bn. With out a mortgage, the nation faces a extreme funds disaster.
Opposition events say Saied’s motion in opposition to the opposition leaders is politically motivated as they name for the authorities to launch political prisoners.
However Saied alleges these imprisoned have been “terrorists, criminals and traitors”, and judges who free them can be endorsing their alleged crimes.
Kaouther Ferjani, daughter of jailed politician Stated Ferjani, mentioned when her household requested a choose why her father was in jail, the choose replied, “It was both me or him.”
“My father in jail mentioned we now have shifted from the independence of the judiciary to the use and abuse of the judiciary,” she mentioned.