Tunisians defy protest ban to demand release of president’s critics
Hundreds of Tunisians rallied Sunday in defiance of a protest ban, demanding the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president who were arrested in recent weeks.
President Kais Saied sacked the government and froze parliament in a 2021 power grab and imposed sweeping changes to the political system of the sole democracy to have emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings, according to AFP.
More than 20 political figures have been arrested in the North African country in recent weeks, including members the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF) and its main component, the Ennahdha party.
“Freedom for the detainees,” chanted the demonstrators, most of them supporters of the NSF, with many waving Tunisian flags and pictures of detainees, AFP journalists said.
Denouncing Saied’s power grab as a “coup”, the protesters defied a ban on demonstrations imposed by Tunis authorities.
Issam Chebbi, head of Al Joumhouri party, is among the Saied opponents who have been arrested in the crackdown launched in February.
Other detainees include senior opposition figures Jawhar Ben Mbarek, businessman Kamel Eltaief, the head of Tunisia’s most popular radio station Mosaique FM, Noureddine Boutar, as well as trade union officials.
Saied has accused those arrested of “terrorism” and causing recurrent food shortages as well as plotting against the state.
The NSF had called for the demonstration, which came a day after more than 3,000 joined a Tunis rally organised by the powerful UGTT trade union.