Tunisia: Drastic Closure of Civic Space

Beirut — The Tunisian government exacerbated its repression of critical voices and accelerated its crackdown on civil society groups, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. Authorities undermined the integrity of the October presidential election, escalating politically motivated arrests and arbitrary detentions, including of prospective challengers, and amending the electoral law just days before the vote.

“It is clear that Tunisian authorities deployed all their efforts to silence, prosecute, and imprison President Kais Saied’s critics and opponents in order to favor his re-election,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “They have simultaneously targeted members of civil society and the media who dared question his policies, effectively tightening the noose around Tunisia’s hard-won civic space.”

As of November, over 80 people were detained on political grounds or for exercising their rights, including political opponents, activists, lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders, and social media users. Security forces continued abuses against migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees with impunity, as denounced by the UN in October. Deaths at sea of refugees and migrants fleeing to Europe continued. In May, authorities arbitrarily arrested members of organizations providing aid to asylum seekers and refugees. The European Union continued support to Tunisian authorities for migration control purposes despite ongoing violations. Tunisia is still facing an economic crisis with high public debt and inflation, affecting economic, social, and cultural rights. As of June, at least several hundred people were in prison solely for writing checks they were later unable to pay, however a new law adopted in July introduced important reforms and paved the way for the release of more than 500 people.

Human Rights Watch called on Tunisian authorities to release those arbitrarily detained and allow civil society organizations and the media to operate freely. Tunisia’s international partners should speak up and urge the government to uphold human rights and cease funding abusive migration controls.

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