Human Rights Watch (HRW) has decried a move by the government of Tunisia to dismantle the country’s largest opposition party.

Development Diaries reports that Tunisian authorities have been accused by the rights organisation of attacking opponents of President Kais Saied.

HRW, in a statement, said that since December 2022, the Tunisian government has arrested at least 17 current or former members of the party, including its leader, and shut its offices across the country.

It called on the authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and end restrictions on freedom of association and assembly.

The arrests have so far targeted figures of various political affiliations, bringing the number of public figures deemed critical of Saied behind bars to at least 30, with most accused of ‘conspiring against state security’.

‘The Ennahda-linked detainees include four former ministers and several former parliament members’, HRW said.

‘The party president and former speaker of parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, and two party vice presidents, Ali Laarayedh and Nourredine Bhiri, are among them. None has been formally charged’.

Tunisia Director at HRW, Salsabil Chellali, said, ‘After demonising the Ennahda Party and making serious accusations without proof, President Saied’s authorities have moved to effectively dismantle it.

‘Tunisian authorities’ latest tactic to muzzle critical voices consists of tossing around conspiracy charges left and right against all those who challenge the president’s increasingly authoritarian bent’.

Chellali called on the Tunisian authorities to stop their reprisal against Ennahda and other opponents and release all those jailed in the absence of credible evidence of crimes

Freedom House ranked Tunisia as ‘partly free’ in its 2023 Freedom in the World report on political rights and civil liberties, with the Maghreb nation earning 64 points out of a possible 100.

Photo source: Al Jazeera