Tunisian authorities have ordered multiple leading human rights organizations, including Mnemty and FTDES, to halt activities, deepening fears of a systematic clampdown on civil society under President Kais Saied.
A Tunisian court has ordered several of the country’s most prominent human rights groups to suspend operations, marking a sharp escalation in the government’s campaign against independent civil society. The latest target, anti-racism NGO Mnemty, received a one-month suspension order on Tuesday, following similar rulings against the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) and the Tunisian Association for Democratic Women. The suspensions reflect growing pressure on organizations that have long defended freedom and equality in Tunisia’s fragile democracy.
Context:
Once celebrated as a beacon of democratic transition after the Arab Spring, Tunisia has seen a marked regression in civil and political freedoms under President Kais Saied. Since consolidating power in 2021, Saied’s government has increasingly targeted journalists, opposition figures, and NGOs through detentions, restrictions, and legal actions. The suspension of these groups signals an intensifying effort to silence dissent and weaken Tunisia’s independent civil society sector.
Source(s) & Attribution:
Associated Press (AP), statements from organization representatives
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