Human Rights Watch has called on the international community to publicly condemn what it describes as an escalating crackdown on political opponents, journalists and civil society in Tunisia, warning that the country’s human rights situation has sharply deteriorated. Addressing the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the rights group said Tunisia has experienced a steady erosion of democratic freedoms since President Kais Saied assumed sweeping executive powers five years ago, a move critics say has weakened key state institutions and the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch said the authorities have intensified repression by targeting opposition figures, human rights defenders, independent lawyers, journalists and migrants through arrests, prosecutions and restrictive legal measures. The organization noted that Tunisian courts recently sentenced eight human rights defenders to prison terms and imposed substantial fines over charges linked to their advocacy work. The rights group joined United Nations experts and several civil society organizations in expressing concern over what it described as Tunisia’s worsening human rights crisis, warning that continued restrictions on civic space threaten democratic governance in the country.
Human Rights Watch urged UN member states to end what it called their silence on the issue, arguing that the absence of strong international condemnation risks emboldening Tunisian authorities to expand the crackdown on dissent. Since 2021, President Saied has defended his actions as necessary to combat corruption and restore stability following years of political deadlock and economic challenges. However, opposition parties and international rights organizations argue that the measures have significantly curtailed civil liberties and undermined judicial independence.
