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Thousands of Tunisian citizens marched through the capital, Tunis, protesting the ongoing arrests of opposition figures and activists, while accusing President Kais Saied of fostering a dictatorship and suppressing political freedoms.
The demonstrators gathered from Friday, carrying banners displaying images of jailed journalists, politicians, and lawyers, and chanting slogans such as: “Your turn is coming, Saied, dictator” and “The people want to overthrow the regime.”
According to BBC reports, the protests were fueled by the recent arrest of prominent lawyer and outspoken government critic Ahmed Souab, as well as harsh sentences handed down to opposition leaders last week, with some receiving up to 66 years in prison for allegedly plotting against the state.
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Marchers moved from the headquarters of the Journalists’ Syndicate to Habib Bourguiba Avenue, joined by political parties, human rights activists, and civil society organizations.
President Saied’s administration faces accusations of weaponizing the judiciary, particularly following his 2021 dissolution of Parliament and subsequent rule by decree.
In 2022, he also dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed several judges — moves opponents have described as a “silent coup.”
President Saied has previously labeled his critics as “traitors and terrorists,” warning that judges who release them would be seen as “accomplices.”
