Arabic version: منظمات حقوقية تحذر من خنق المجتمع المدني في تونس
According to Allafrica, Human Rights Watch and Tunisian activists say civil society is facing intensifying pressure five years into President Kais Saied’s authoritarian rule. The watchdog said authorities were using prosecutions, detentions, financial investigations and organizational suspensions to restrict independent voices.
Messaoud Romdhani, a Tunisian human rights activist, told Deutsche Welle that many organizations were “in a state of shock.” He said critics of the authorities or conditions in Tunisia faced widespread repression, with many accused of money laundering and their activities suspended. An activist speaking anonymously said uncertainty over suspensions, prosecution and detention had itself become a source of pressure.
Human Rights Watch said civil society groups have helped hold power to account, provide essential services and advocate for human rights. Bassam Khawaja, a deputy director in the organization’s Middle East and North Africa Division, said the authorities’ actions amounted to “a total crackdown on civil society in Tunisia.” The Tunisian presidency did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Saied was elected president in 2019 and dissolved parliament in July 2021, beginning what the report described as a power grab. He has rejected claims that he is an authoritarian leader, saying his measures are needed to combat corruption and protect democracy. He has also accused critics of taking foreign funding to create unrest and undermine national interests.
Protests have nevertheless continued in Tunis. Thousands demonstrated on July 25 over living conditions, democratic backsliding and basic services, while late-August protesters called for Saied to step down. An Arab Barometer survey conducted in fall 2025 found younger Tunisians were more skeptical of state institutions but retained higher trust in civil society organizations: 49% among people aged 18-39, compared with 32% among those 40 and older.
