On Wednesday, Tunisian police arrested two notable dissidents and surrounded the home of a third, as part of a crackdown on opponents of President Kais Saied. President Kais Saied calls his opponents traitors and criminals.
In addition to the arrests that took place this month , several of Saied’s most famous opponents, along with other lawmakers, judges, and members of the media, have been taken into custody.
According to Reuters, the Republican Party chairman Issam Chebbi was detained while traveling with his wife, family, and attorney. It happened outside a shopping complex. Thereafter, Police extensively searched the house.
Her counsel, Samir Dilou said AD Chaima Issa, was also arrested. AD Issa is a 2011 revolution activist.
In a Wednesday video, Saied and his brother Chebbie criticized the National Salvation Front opposition group led by Ben Mbarek and Issa.
In a low-turnout referendum last year, Saied assumed power by fiat. He also drafted a new constitution, and accepted it.
Saied overthrew the 2021 parliament. However, opponents call it a coup while the president called his detractors, traitors. Supporting his legitimate and necessary actions to stabilize Tunisia.
Throughout the past year, he has strengthened the judiciary. “Judges are responsible for upholding the law, and those who fail to do so should be held accountable,” he said in a Wednesday YouTube video.
Since Saied’s rise to power, some prominent politicians have been arrested. Although, there has been no concerted crackdown on dissidents prior to the arrests that took place this month.
Tunisia is the only Arab Spring country to have achieved democracy after the 2011 revolution that sparked unrest. Years of political and economic standstill was disillusioning for Tunisians. Thus, electing Saied, a political outsider, in 2019 in order alter the system.
Saied previously blamed a portion of the imprisoned for the food and gas shortages economists attributed to the public finance issue.
