Tunisian opposition crackdown continues with arrest of politician Ayachi Hammami

Authorities in Tunisia have taken into custody prominent opposition figure Ayachi Hammami at his residence to enforce a five-year prison sentence, following a ruling by an appeals court that upheld convictions against numerous political adversaries of the government for allegedly conspiring against state security. Last week, the court confirmed prison terms ranging from four to 45 years for various opposition leaders, business figures, and lawyers accused of plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied, who has intensified his crackdown on dissent for several years.

Hammami, who served as minister of human rights in 2020, addressed his supporters in a video shared by his family on Facebook, saying, If you are seeing this video, I have been arrested. I have spent years advocating for democracy, freedom, and rights. I will transform my cell into a new front of resistance, and announced his intention to go on a hunger strike.

This arrest comes shortly after Chaima Issa, another opposition member, was detained during a protest in Tunis to serve a 20-year sentence in the same case. The broader legal action has targeted around 40 individuals, including former officials and the ex-head of intelligence, Kamel Guizani. Opposition figures maintain that the charges, which include attempts to destabilize the nation and overthrow the government, are fabricated and aim to suppress dissent through the judicial system, highlighting Tunisias increasing authoritarianism.

Authorities are also expected to arrest Najib Chebbi, head of the National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition, who received a 12-year prison term. Twenty accused individuals have fled abroad and were sentenced in absentia, marking one of the largest political prosecutions in Tunisias recent history.

President Saied insists he does not interfere in the judiciary. However, when the case was launched in 2023, he warned that judges who acquitted the defendants would be considered accomplices. Human rights organizations have condemned the convictions. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for the immediate annulment of the sentences, labeling them politically motivated. Sara Hashash, Amnestys Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated: The decision by the Tunis Court of Appeal to uphold these convictions is a shocking indictment of the Tunisian justice system. The court has ignored repeated fair trial violations that have tainted this case from the start.

Saied suspended parliament in July 2021 in what critics describe as a coup and has ruled largely by decree since then. Many of these powers were formalized in a new constitution ratified in a widely boycotted 2022 referendum. Media figures, activists, and lawyers critical of Saied have been detained under a fake news law passed the same year. The crackdown continues, affecting prominent politicians from across the spectrum, including Jawhar Ben Mbarek, cofounder of the main opposition alliance; Issam Chebbi, leader of the centrist Al Joumhouri party; Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda Party and former parliament speaker; former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh; and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party.

Author: Sophia Brooks