Hundreds of supporters of President Kais Saied assembled in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, on Sunday against the controversial basis of numerous arrests that have drawn criticism from both domestic and foreign quarters. The protests are in response to a notable number of apprehensions that have been directed towards journalists, activists, attorneys, and representatives of civil society, raising questions about the nation’s human rights and free speech policies.
The European Union, France, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights are among the foreign bodies that have sharply criticized the latest surge of detentions. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented additional claims of an escalating assault under President Saied’s administration following the arrest of two lawyers during a police raid on the bar association’s headquarters earlier this month. The lawyers were renowned for their critical views of the president.
Last week, Tunisian lawyers went on strike due to allegations that one of their colleagues arrested during a raid had been tortured, a claim denied by the Interior Ministry. President Saied responded by instructing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon several ambassadors to show Tunisia’s displeasure with what it sees as foreign interference in its internal affairs.
The protests, mainly made up of Saied’s supporters who traveled into the city, were focused along Habib Bourguiba Street, Tunis’s main boulevard. Demonstrators carried portraits of Saied and banners with messages directed at Western nations to stay out of Tunisia’s domestic affairs. The crowd, expressing strong nationalistic feelings, chanted together, “The people want Kais Saied,” indicating strong support for the president amid the growing political crisis.
Ammar Hassen, a 37-year-old participant in the demonstration, articulated a common thread among the protesters: “We are here to support Saied … We are against foreign intervention and traitors.” He accused Western entities of destabilizing Tunisia by influencing local dissenters, a sentiment that resonates with many of Saied’s advocates who view external criticism as an infringement on Tunisia’s autonomy.
Since coming to power in 2019 through free elections, Saied has followed a controversial path by dissolving the parliament in 2021 and subsequently governing by decree. During his tenure, he has frequently accused various groups and political figures of being traitors. This has led to the imprisonment of prominent opposition leaders such as Abir Moussa, the head of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Islamist Ennahdha Party, for several months.
