Tunisians protest against rising repression ahead of presidential vote

Protests erupted in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, on Friday as hundreds of citizens took to the streets to denounce the escalating repression in the country. With presidential elections looming, incumbent President Kais Saied is expected to secure a victory.

Several critics, including a presidential candidate, have been detained since Saied’s sweeping power grab. “Kais Saied has trampled on freedoms,” said Leila Chebbi, an actor participating in the protest. “I will boycott these elections. They violate the law and are not legitimate.”

Protesters marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the capital’s main thoroughfare, which was heavily policed. They called for an end to Saied’s rule, holding signs labeling him a “Pharaoh manipulating the law.”

“The streets are still active in denouncing attacks on freedoms and human rights two days before the elections,” said Bassem Trifi, head of the Tunisian League for Human Rights.

“We came out to denounce the flouting of freedoms, democracy, the achievements of the revolution, in particular freedom of expression and assembly,” he added.

Tunisia has prided itself on being the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings, which began in the North African country with the ousting of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

After rising to power in a landslide in 2019, Saied, now 66, staged a power grab in 2021 that saw him dissolve parliament and later rewrite the constitution.

A crackdown on dissent followed, with a number of his critics across the political spectrum now jailed.

New York-based Human Rights Watch recently said that more than “170 people are detained in Tunisia on political grounds or for exercising their fundamental rights”.

On Sunday, Saied is set to face former lawmaker Zouhair Maghzaoui, a supporter of Saied’s power grab, and Ayachi Zammel, a little-known businessman who has been jailed since his bid was approved by ISIE, the election board, last month.

Zammel currently faces more than 14 years in prison over accusations of having forged election endorsement signatures, among others.

ISIE has barred 14 hopefuls from joining the race, citing insufficient endorsements among other technicalities.