Tunisians Protest Over Authoritarian Leadership of President Kais Saied, Imprisonment of Opposition Leaders

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 A large number of Tunisians took  to the streets of Tunis the nation’s capital on Friday to protest against President Kais Saied chanting “No fear, no terror, power to the people”.

Banners and posters carried the faces of imprisoned opposition leaders, notable among them is the head of Ennahda, Tunisia’s largest Islamist party, Rached Ghannouchi.

The protest is not unconnected with what began in 2021 as a promise of reform for many Tunisians now seen as a return to repression.

It has been four years since the Tunisian President moved to consolidate his one-man rule in the country.

On 25 July 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his prime minister and invoked a state of emergency to begin ruling by decree.

Some have called the event the beginning of Tunisia’s descent toward authoritarianism, a country once known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings.

Samir Dilo, a leading figure in the opposition National Salvation Front was quoted saying, "July 25 was supposed to be Republic Day, but it’s become a day of oppression. The revolution was crushed. We’ve seen one man take over all powers. Absolute power is absolute corruption,"

Since 2021, Saied has dissolved key judicial bodies, dismissed judges, and overseen the jailing of numerous opponents.

Jailed political opponents, lawyers, and journalists face lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws.

Women like activist Hafsia Bourguiba led much of the chanting, demanding the release of imprisoned opposition figures from across the political spectrum, including Abir Moussi and attorney Sonia Dahmani.

 Africa News