Tunisian authorities have placed Abdel Karim Harouni under house arrest. Harouni is the head of the Ennahda party’s advisory council and is a prominent figure within the opposition. The announcement regarding his house arrest came on Saturday, as revealed in a statement by the National Salvation Front, the primary coalition of opposition in Tunisia.
Described by the National Salvation Front as a capricious decision engineered to target dissent and meddle with the internal affairs of political entities, Harouni’s house arrest is part of a series of recent hostile actions against the Ennahda party. This includes the closure of party headquarters and mass arrests that targeted Ennahda’s leadership. The party has been the largest voice of opposition since the toppling of long-time autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
President Kais Saied has been at the center of allegations pertaining to an accumulation of power since he took over the reins last year. Prominent figures such as Rached Ghannouchi and Ali Laarayedh were detained for months during a period in which several hundred were also arrested.
These actions and the escalating degradation of human rights in the country have led to increased international pressure on Tunisia. Earlier this year, the African Court on Human and People’s Rights granted temporary measures for detainees, citing immediate threat and absence of due process. Despite this action, prisoners’ families have reported worsening conditions for incarcerated individuals, with some serving decades-long prison terms without sufficient evidence.