Protesters carry portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the state of political life in the country.
Hundreds of Tunisian activists have protested against President Kais Saied, calling his rule since 2021 an “authoritarian regime” that has turned the country into an “open-air prison”.
The protesters marched in capital Tunis on Friday, marking four years since Saied made moves to consolidate his one-man rule in a country once known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings.
Chanting the slogan, “The Republic is a large prison,” they demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of Ennahdha, the self-styled “Muslim Democrat” party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party.
They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, activists and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others have fled the country, seeking asylum in Western countries.
On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his prime minister and invoked a state of emergency to begin ruling by decree, ordering mass arrests and politically motivated trials to silence dissent.
Though some cheered his efforts, critics called the moves a coup and said the events marked the beginning of Tunisia’s descent towards authoritarianism.
Protesters also chanted slogans such as “No fear, no terror … streets belong to the people” and “The people want the fall of the regime” as they carried portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the state of political life in Tunisia.
“Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees,” Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told the Reuters news agency.
Prisons are “crowded” with Saied’s opponents, activists, and journalists, said Saib Souab, son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is a critical voice of Saied.
“Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison … Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason,” he told Reuters.
In 2022, Saied also dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a move the opposition said was aimed to cement the one-man rule. Saied said he does not interfere in the judiciary, but no one is above accountability, regardless of their name or position.
In 2023, Saied said the politicians were “traitors and terrorists” and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices.
July 25 also marks the anniversary of Tunisia’s declaration as a republic in 1957. It later became the rallying cry of the pro-Saied “July 25 Movement”, which pushed for a crackdown on the country’s largely unpopular political class.
Samir Dilou, a former government minister and member of Ennahdha, said Saied had forever changed the day’s meaning. “July 25 used to mark the Republic’s founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption,” he said.
