Amnesty Worldwide on Tuesday condemned the arrest of not less than 97 opposition members in Tunisia final week, claiming authorities have escalated their crackdown on civil society forward of the nation’s presidential elections on October 6.
The rights group discovered that not less than 97 members of the opposition group Ennahda have been arrested on September 12 and 13 and that the people “are being investigated for conspiracy fees and different fees beneath the counter-terrorism legislation.” The group claimed that the arrests characterize a rising development of repression within the nation, stating that Tunisian authorities have more and more harassed political opposition members and stifled media freedom and dissent by proscribing unbiased journalists, human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Amnesty Worldwide Secretary Normal Agnès Callamard said:
Tunisian authorities are waging a transparent pre-election assault on the pillars of human rights and the rule of legislation, failing to uphold the nation’s worldwide human rights obligations and undermining the basic rules of justice and equity. They have to finish this egregious backslide on human rights and guarantee respect for the rights of everybody within the nation earlier than, throughout and after the forthcoming elections.
The group additionally claimed that the nation’s establishments have undermined the judiciary’s independence. The Unbiased Excessive Authority for Elections (ISIE), as an illustration, not too long ago rejected a court docket determination to reinstate three disqualified candidates for the upcoming presidential elections. The ISIE as an alternative authorized solely President Kais Saied, Zouhair Magzhaoui and Ayachi Zammel to run as candidates. Amnesty Worldwide claimed that the ISIE’s determination demonstrates the menace to the rule of legislation within the nation and the deterioration of judicial independence.
Final week, a number of human rights organizations announced the creation of a world assist committee for freedoms in Tunisia. The committee known as totally free and clear elections, the discharge of unjustly detained people and for authorities to stop their repressive measures towards civil society. 1000’s of people additionally demonstrated in Tunisia that very same day, demanding respect for civil liberties forward of the election. The protestors particularly condemned the perceived rise in authoritarianism within the nation since President Kais Saied gained energy in 2021.
Since coming to energy, Saied has confronted important criticism from human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch found that in 2023, the president “continued to wield virtually unchallenged energy after eliminating almost all institutional checks and balances on govt energy.” Amnesty Worldwide additionally stated that the human rights state of affairs in Tunisia has deteriorated since he got here to energy, citing the removing of institutional safeguards, the decline of judicial independence and the prosecution of people for exercising their proper to freedom of expression. In its Freedom within the World 2024 Report, Freedom Home found that Tunisia was solely “partly free” and rated the nation 51 out of 100 on its freedom standing.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
