Tunisians Protest Against President Saied, Call Country an Open-Air Prison
Hundreds of Tunisian activists demand the release of jailed opposition leaders and call for democracy.
In a bold display of defiance, hundreds of Tunisian activists took to the streets in the capital on Friday to protest against President Kais Saied's rule.
They denounced his regime as authoritarian, comparing Tunisia to an 'open-air prison.'
The demonstrators marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue under the rallying cry "The Republic is a Large Prison," demanding the release of jailed opposition leaders, journalists, and activists.
This protest marked the fourth anniversary of Saied's power grab in 2021, when he dissolved the elected parliament and began ruling by decree, a move that the opposition labeled as a coup.
Protesters chanted slogans such as "No Fear, No Terror ...
Streets Belong to the People" and "The People Want the Fall of the Regime." They accused Saied's government of descending into authoritarianism, characterized by mass arrests and politically motivated trials aimed at silencing dissent.
Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, articulated the primary goal of the protest: to battle against tyranny in order to restore democracy and demand the release of political detainees.
In 2022, Saied dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges, actions that the opposition argued were intended to solidify one-man rule.
Saied maintains that he does not interfere in the judiciary but asserts that no individual is above accountability, regardless of their position or name.
The most prominent opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist Ennahda party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, are currently incarcerated.
They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws.
Several others have sought asylum in Western countries to escape persecution.
In 2023, Saied branded these politicians as "traitors and terrorists," suggesting that judges who would acquit them were complicit in their activities.
Critics argue that Tunisia's prisons are now overcrowded with Saied's opponents, including activists and journalists.
Saib Souab, the son of imprisoned lawyer Ahmed Souab, a vocal critic of Saied, described the current situation as one where even those not behind bars live under a cloud of uncertainty, at constant risk of arrest for any reason.
According to him, Tunisia has effectively become an open-air prison, where freedom is fleeting and precarious.
They denounced his regime as authoritarian, comparing Tunisia to an 'open-air prison.'
The demonstrators marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue under the rallying cry "The Republic is a Large Prison," demanding the release of jailed opposition leaders, journalists, and activists.
This protest marked the fourth anniversary of Saied's power grab in 2021, when he dissolved the elected parliament and began ruling by decree, a move that the opposition labeled as a coup.
Protesters chanted slogans such as "No Fear, No Terror ...
Streets Belong to the People" and "The People Want the Fall of the Regime." They accused Saied's government of descending into authoritarianism, characterized by mass arrests and politically motivated trials aimed at silencing dissent.
Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, articulated the primary goal of the protest: to battle against tyranny in order to restore democracy and demand the release of political detainees.
In 2022, Saied dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges, actions that the opposition argued were intended to solidify one-man rule.
Saied maintains that he does not interfere in the judiciary but asserts that no individual is above accountability, regardless of their position or name.
The most prominent opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist Ennahda party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, are currently incarcerated.
They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws.
Several others have sought asylum in Western countries to escape persecution.
In 2023, Saied branded these politicians as "traitors and terrorists," suggesting that judges who would acquit them were complicit in their activities.
Critics argue that Tunisia's prisons are now overcrowded with Saied's opponents, including activists and journalists.
Saib Souab, the son of imprisoned lawyer Ahmed Souab, a vocal critic of Saied, described the current situation as one where even those not behind bars live under a cloud of uncertainty, at constant risk of arrest for any reason.
According to him, Tunisia has effectively become an open-air prison, where freedom is fleeting and precarious.