Several human rights organizations announced the formation of an international support committee aimed at promoting freedoms in Tunisia in response to rising authoritarianism under President Kais Saied. The announcement, made on Friday, was driven by calls for free and transparent elections, the release of unjustly detained individuals, and a halt to repressive measures against Tunisian society. Full details are available here.
Yosra Frawes, head of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Maghreb and Middle East office, articulated the committee’s mission to raise global awareness about the ongoing issues in Tunisia. According to Frawes, international solidarity is crucial for supporting Tunisian civil society in their struggle for justice and freedom. She emphasized the imperative to maintain democratic aspirations in the Arab world, warning against traditional democracies compromising their values for political agreements on migratory flows, which she labeled as an unacceptable breach of influence in Tunisia.
Controversy surrounds the upcoming presidential elections, with the Tunisian Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) recently rejecting the Administrative Court’s ruling that reinstated three previously disqualified candidates for the October 6 presidential election. Despite the court’s decision, the ISIE confirmed President Kais Saied, Zouhair Magzhaoui, and Ayachi Zammel as the final candidates, sparking criticism from entities such as the Tunisian Workers’ Union and the Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law. The ISIE has also barred 14 candidates from participating in the elections.
The FIDH, partnering with the Euromed Rights Network and the Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia, will lead this initiative. The international support committee will include 20 members from 13 countries, comprising human rights defenders, lawyers, and activists. Their goal is to counteract President Saied’s policies, which critics argue have grown increasingly autocratic since his rise to power in what many describe as a coup in 2021.