Tunisia police detain opposition figure Chaima Issa at protest

Tunisian authorities detained key opposition leader Chaima Issa during a demonstration in the capital city, Tunis, on Saturday, according to her legal representatives. The protest followed an appeals court ruling on Friday that imposed prison sentences of up to 45 years on opposition figures, business leaders, and lawyers accused of plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied. Issa herself had received a 20-year prison sentence during the trial.

Moments before her arrest, Issa told Reuters, "They will arrest me shortly. I urge Tunisians to keep protesting and resist oppression. We are sacrificing our freedom for you." She called the charges politically motivated and unjust.

Authorities are also expected to detain Najib Chebbi, leader of the opposition National Salvation Front, which is the main coalition challenging Saied. Chebbi was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while opposition activist Ayachi Hammami received a five-year sentence.

Human Rights Watch condemned the trial on Friday, labeling it a "travesty of justice" and describing it as "political, unfair, and completely lacking evidence." The US-based organization also criticized the "blatant use of the judiciary to target Saieds opponents."

Similarly, Amnesty International, headquartered in the UK, called the verdict "a shocking indictment of Tunisias justice system" and decried "a persistent effort to undermine rights and silence dissent."

In July 2021, during a major consolidation of power, President Saied suspended parliament and expanded his executive authority, allowing him to govern by decree. Since that time, many critics have been imprisoned. Powers seized by Saied were later incorporated into a new constitution, approved in a widely boycotted 2022 referendum. Journalists and lawyers critical of the president have also faced prosecution under a 2022 fake news law. Saied maintains that his actions are lawful and necessary to end years of disorder and corruption.

Author: Sophia Brooks