Amnesty International denounced the fact that “since president Kaïs Saïed power grab on 25 July, 2021” the condition of human rights in Tunisia “has significantly regressed”. The NGO therefore asks for the repeal of all measures that do not respect and uphold human rights standards.
Amnesty International said that Tunisian authorities must urgently address the lack of human rights in the country “which has significantly worsened since president Kaïs Saïed’s power grab on 25 July, 2021.”
“All new measures and laws that do not respect international human rights standards should be repealed,” the rights watchdog states in its recent report titled “Tunisia. One year of human rights regression from the moment of the president’s power grab”.
The report delves into detail on how Saïed dismantled and weakened the fundamental human rights safeguards since his power grab last July, despite his statements of commitment for authorities to safeguard human rights.
The report describes how Tunisian authorities, while not implementing full-scale repression, are targeting high profile opposition figures and presumed enemies of the president.
“The first anniversary of the power grab by president Saied is a milestone in the progressive deterioration of human rights safeguards. With a ruling by decree without any supervision, the president has undermined key progress that had been reached for human rights over the course of the last ten years following the 2011 revolution. A revolution that put an end to the rule of former president Ben Ali” stated Heba Morayef, Amnesty International regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The actions of Tunisian authorities continue to cast a series of doubts and worry for the future of human rights in Tunisia. President Saied and others have intensified the violations of these rights targeting the judiciary in particular. Although they do not implement full-scale repressive measures they have targeted key critics and political opposition representatives through judicial investigations, legal proceedings and in some cases arrests, revealing, beyond any doubt the president’s position on any dissent,” adds Amnesty in its report.