Tunisia an ‘open-air prison’, say protesters at anti-President Saied march

Protesters transportation portraits of governmental prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the authorities of governmental beingness successful the country.

Hundreds of Tunisian activists person protested against President Kais Saied, calling his regularisation since 2021 an “authoritarian regime” that has turned the state into an “open-air prison”.

The protesters marched successful superior Tunis connected Friday, marking 4 years since Saied made moves to consolidate his one-man regularisation successful a state erstwhile known arsenic the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings.

Chanting the slogan, “The Republic is simply a ample prison,” they demanded the merchandise of jailed absorption leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, caput of Ennahdha, the self-styled “Muslim Democrat” party, and Abir Moussi, person of the Free Constitutional Party.

They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, activists and journalists facing lengthy situation sentences nether anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others person fled the country, seeking asylum successful Western countries.

A antheral displays a motion arsenic protesters rally against Tunisian President Kais Saied connected the 4th day of his powerfulness grab, successful Tunis, Tunisia, July 25, 2025 [Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters]

On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his premier curate and invoked a authorities of exigency to statesman ruling by decree, ordering wide arrests and politically motivated trials to soundlessness dissent.

Though immoderate cheered his efforts, critics called the moves a coup and said the events marked the opening of Tunisia’s descent towards authoritarianism.

Protesters besides chanted slogans specified arsenic “No fear, nary panic … streets beryllium to the people” and “The radical privation the autumn of the regime” arsenic they carried portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the authorities of governmental beingness successful Tunisia.

“Our archetypal purpose is to conflict against tyranny to reconstruct the ideology and to request the merchandise of the governmental detainees,” Monia Ibrahim, woman of imprisoned person Abdelhamid Jelassi, told the Reuters quality agency.

Prisons are “crowded” with Saied’s opponents, activists, and journalists, said Saib Souab, lad of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is simply a captious dependable of Saied.

“Tunisia has turned into an open-air situation … Even those not down bars unrecorded successful a authorities of impermanent freedom, perpetually astatine hazard of apprehension for immoderate reason,” helium told Reuters.

Demonstrators show a banner arsenic protesters rally against Tunisian President Kais Saied connected the 4th day of his powerfulness grab, successful Tunis, Tunisia, July 25, 2025 [Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters]

In 2022, Saied besides dissolved the autarkic Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a determination the absorption said was aimed to cement the one-man rule. Saied said helium does not interfere successful the judiciary, but nary 1 is supra accountability, careless of their sanction oregon position.

In 2023, Saied said the politicians were “traitors and terrorists” and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices.

July 25 besides marks the day of Tunisia’s declaration arsenic a republic successful 1957. It aboriginal became the rallying outcry of the pro-Saied “July 25 Movement”, which pushed for a crackdown connected the country’s mostly unpopular governmental class.

Samir Dilou, a erstwhile authorities curate and subordinate of Ennahdha, said Saied had everlastingly changed the day’s meaning. “July 25 utilized to people the Republic’s founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute powerfulness is implicit corruption,” helium said.