Tunisian President Kais Saied stated on Monday that the time has come for a fair trial of those conspiring against state security.
During a National Security Council meeting, Saied said, “For a number of individuals who conspired against the security of the state, and there are still others who continue to conspire, the time has come for them to be fairly tried.”
He added, “Judicial procedures have been respected, but the protraction of these procedures allows these conspiracies to continue, and there is still money being funneled to them from abroad through associations.”
In February of last year, Tunisian authorities arrested several party leaders and political activists, including Jouhar Ben Mubarak, Essam Chebbi, Abdelhamid Jlassi, Khiyam Al-Turki, Ghazi Chaouachi, and Reda Belhaj, accusing them of ‘conspiring against state security.’
The accusations of conspiracy against Tunisia have garnered considerable attention, highlighting deep concerns about political repression and judicial fairness in the country. Since President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in July 2021, there has been a marked increase in the detention of political dissidents, opposition leaders, and human rights lawyers under charges of conspiracy against the state. These arrests often lack substantial evidence and are seen as politically motivated attempts to silence dissent.
The detained figures are accused under various charges including attempts to “change the nature of the state.” The crackdown extends beyond political figures to those in the media and the legal profession, with some lawyers who represent the accused also facing charges and investigations for their statements and defense of their clients. This has raised alarms about the erosion of judicial independence and freedom of expression in Tunisia. The international community, including organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, has called for the immediate release of those detained on unfounded charges and for the cessation of the use of the judiciary as a tool of political repression.
