
Hundreds of Tunisians gathered in the capital on Saturday, calling for the release of Abir Moussi, a prominent critic of President Kais Saied.
The protesters, gathered in central Tunis, shouted slogans like “freedom for Abir” and “we are opponents, not traitors.”
The demonstration was a powerful display of defiance against the current regime.
Moussi, leader of the Free Destourian Party, has been imprisoned for over a year.
Her detention stems from an arrest in October 2023 outside the presidential palace, where she attempted to file appeals against Saied’s decrees.
The 49-year-old politician, who had aspirations to run in the 2024 presidential election, faces multiple charges, including “seeking to change the form of the state.”
Critics accuse her party of attempting to restore authoritarian rule reminiscent of the pre-Arab Spring era.
Saied, who was elected in 2019, has ruled Tunisia largely by decree since his power grab in 2021.
His controversial policies have sparked widespread criticism and opposition.
In November 2024, Moussi was sentenced to 16 months in prison for spreading “false news” after she criticized the country’s electoral authority.
Her conviction has sparked outrage among those who argue it undermines Tunisia’s democratic aspirations.
Thameur Saad, a key figure in Moussi’s party, declared that her imprisonment “is not worthy of a country that calls itself democratic.”
The rally in Tunis reflected the growing dissatisfaction with Saied’s government and the ongoing struggle for political freedoms in Tunisia.