Tunisian activists staged protests on Tuesday outside a court in the capital, where several prominent opposition figures are facing trial on charges of conspiring against state security. The opposition has denounced the case as politically motivated, calling it a clear sign of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian grip on power.
Rights groups say the trial underscores Saied’s tightening control over the judiciary since he dissolved Tunisia’s elected parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree. He later disbanded the independent Supreme Judicial Council, further consolidating his authority.
The case involves 40 defendants, including politicians, journalists, and businessmen, with more than 20 of them currently in exile. Some of those arrested in a broader 2023 crackdown include Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbrak, Abdelhamid Jlassi, and Khyam Turki. Among those charged but living abroad are former presidential chief of staff Nadia Akacha and ex-intelligence chief Kamel Guizani.
“This is one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Tunisia’s history,” said Bassam Trifi, head of the Tunisian Human Rights League.
Saied has defended the arrests, labeling the accused as “traitors and terrorists” in 2023 and claiming that judges who previously cleared them were complicit in their crimes.
Opposition leaders insist the charges are fabricated to dismantle dissent and cement one-man rule. They argue that they were working on a plan to unify Tunisia’s fragmented opposition to counter what they call a democratic backslide in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Chaima Issa, a senior member of the Salvation Front opposition coalition, is among eight defendants attending the first court session while out of detention.
“This trial is a farce—a political purge targeting all opposition leaders,” Issa told Reuters before the hearing. “Our crime is resisting this regime, and I will not back down.”
Tunisia’s political landscape remains in turmoil, with most opposition leaders behind bars. Among them are Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party, both detained since 2023 in separate cases.
Despite mounting criticism, the government insists Tunisia remains a democracy. Saied has dismissed accusations of authoritarianism, arguing that no one is above the law and that a corrupt elite must face justice.
