Tunisia’s Presidential Campaign Continues Amid Protests Over Restricted Freedoms

In Tunisia, the presidential election campaign kicked off on Saturday, ahead of the vote scheduled for 6 October. Only three candidates are in the running for the presidency. Meanwhile, some activists have begun protesting, raising concerns about a “climate of fear”.

Political posters of the three presidential candidates started appearing in Tunis as soon as campaigning began, but few people were ready to talk about politics, according to RFI’s correspondent in Tunis, Amira Soualem.

Just days earlier, the city center was bustling with energetic protesters. In all, an estimated 1,000 to 3,500 people took to the streets to voice their opposition.

“In Tunisia at the moment, there are obstacles to press freedom; several politicians have also been arrested recently. In this context, it is really good that people are moving and denouncing attacks on freedoms,” Karim Jelassi, activist for a centre-left party, told RFI.

Bassem Trifi, head of the Tunisian League for Human Rights, noted that it’s encouraging to see people showing up despite the “climate of fear” marked by “arrests and legal proceedings”.

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Accept Manage my choices Documented arrests

Research from Amnesty International shows that there is a significant rollback of human rights in Tunisia, especially in the last couple of years.

The organisation has documented six successive waves of arrests, which targeted political opponents and perceived critics of the authorities.

Tunisian opposition candidate arrested amid ‘dictatorial’ pre-election climate

Amnesty has reported that over 70 people, including political opponents, lawyers, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, who have been subjected to arbitrary prosecutions or arbitrary detention since the end of 2022.

At least five journalists and media figures are currently serving prison sentences, in relation to their media work or critical comments.

“This is a very negative development in Tunisia for free speech,” their main researcher told RFI.

As of August 2024, Amnesty also documented at least 40 people arbitrarily detained in Tunisia in relation to the right to freedom of expression and assembly.

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Tunisia’s presidential race marred by arrests and claims of intimidation

Last week, about 100 people close to the Islamist party Ennahda were arrested and brought before the judicial anti-terrorism unit, as announced in a press release shared by the party on Saturday.

The authorities also banned the Paris-based African news magazine Jeune Afrique for its criticism of President Saied.

Climate of fear

Fear and dismay seem to be dominating among voters, according to RFI’s correspondent.

“I don’t even know who’s running up,” one told RFI. “There are eight candidates, I believe?” he mistakenly muttered. “I don’t even know who they are.”

Aside from Saied, only two other candidates were approved: Ayachi Zammel, the leader of a liberal party (currently in prison), and Zouhair Maghzaoui of the pan-Arab left-wing People’s Movement, who for long supported Saied before distancing himself from the president.

The administrative court still summons the institution in charge of elections to accept three additional candidates, in vain for now.

The campaign will last for another three weeks until the presidential poll on 6 October 2024.

(with newswires)

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