Renowned activist taken into custody amid hundreds demonstrating in Tunisia

A leading Tunisian activist was taken into custody on Saturday as hundreds gathered in the capital to protest restrictions on civil liberties, according to lawyers and an AFP journalist present at the scene.

The demonstration in Tunis followed a high-profile trial in which around 40 public figures, mostly opponents of President Kais Saied, received long sentences for allegedly plotting against the state. Among those convicted, poet and political activist Chaima Issa, sentenced to 20 years in prison, was apprehended during the protest, witnesses and legal representatives reported.

She was seized by plainclothes officers in the midst of the march and placed into a vehicle, said Issas lawyer, Samir Dilou. There was no need to arrest her at this moment; she could have been detained at home immediately after the verdict. She wasnt attempting to flee.

The rally was organized by Tunisias leading womens rights organizations, the Association of Democratic Women (ATFD) and Aswat Nissa, to denounce what they view as increasing repression of dissent and human rights defenders. This protest responds to the authorities systematic suppression of free speech and the voices of activists and journalists, stated Nadia Benhamed, a senior ATFD member. We stand against any limitation on freedoms. Freedom of expression and thought is a fundamental right.

Since the Arab Spring, Tunisia has been regarded as the regions sole democracy, but rights groups report significant curtailments of freedoms following President Saieds 2021 consolidation of power.

Many critics of Saied have faced prosecution or imprisonment, including charges related to terrorism or under a 2022 law banning the spreading of false news. We are determined to defend the freedoms we have achieved, said activist Manel Othmani. The right to free expression gained since 2011 cannot be surrendered.

During Fridays mass trial, defendants received sentences of up to 45 years reduced from 66 earlier in April for conspiracy against state security and alleged membership in a terrorist organization, according to court documents reviewed by AFP.

Earlier this week, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for the release of individuals detained for exercising freedom of expression, including political prisoners and human rights advocates in Tunisia. President Saied rejected the resolution, describing it as blatant interference and asserting that the EU could learn lessons from Tunisia regarding rights and freedoms.

Author: Sophia Brooks