Kaïs Saïed protests against foreign criticism after a wave of arrests

Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed denounced Thursday May 16 as a “unacceptable foreign interference” the concerns expressed by the European Union, France and the United States after a wave of arrests of lawyers, journalists and civil society figures. The head of state, who has concentrated all powers since the summer of 2021, ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “summon as soon as possible the ambassadors of a certain number of foreign countries” to convey to them “strong protest”.

“We did not intervene in their affairs when they arrested demonstrators who denounced the war of genocide against the Palestinian people”added Mr. Saïed, in a video broadcast by the presidency before dawn.

Over the past ten days, civil society figures such as anti-racist activist Saadia Mosbah, several lawyers as well as radio and television columnists have been the subject of often harsh arrests. On Saturday, lawyer Sonia Dahmani, also a columnist and critical voice against President Saïed, was taken away by force by hooded police officers while she had taken refuge in a building of the Bar Association.

Violence against a lawyer

Monday evening, another lawyer, Mehdi Zagrouba, was arrested. He was urgently hospitalized during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, after being beaten in detention and having passed out, according to several lawyers. The president of the League for the Defense of Human Rights Bassem Trifi said he had observed “with the president and colleagues there were obvious traces of violence and torture on his body”.

On Tuesday, France expressed its ” concern “ after the arrest of M^me Dahmani in a “context of other arrests and arrests, in particular of journalists and members of associations”. The United States also criticized the wave of arrests, judging that “type of action in contradiction with what we believe to be the universal rights explicitly guaranteed by the Tunisian Constitution”.

The European Union expressed its ” worry “stressing that freedom of expression and the independence of justice constitute ” pedestal “ of its privileged partnership with Tunis.

Since President Kaïs Saïed, elected in October 2019 for five years ending next fall, granted himself full powers during a coup in July 2021, Tunisian and international NGOs have deplored a regression in rights in the country that was the birthplace of the Arab Spring.