Tunisian police on Monday detained Ahmed Souab, a prominent lawyer and outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, according to fellow attorneys, raising alarm among human rights groups over an intensifying crackdown on dissent.
Souab, who represents several opposition leaders recently sentenced to lengthy prison terms on conspiracy charges, had sharply criticized the court proceedings last week. On Friday, he publicly condemned the trial as a ”farce,” claiming Tunisia’s judiciary had been “completely destroyed.”
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“It seems he was detained because of his critical comments on the trial,” said Samir Dilou, one of Souab’s lawyers. Two other lawyers also confirmed his arrest.
Opposition parties have rejected the recent convictions as politically motivated, accusing the government of using the courts to reinforce President Saied’s authoritarian grip on power.
Since dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by decree, Saied has taken sweeping control over the judiciary. In 2022, he disbanded the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges.
“The mass conviction of dissidents is a disturbing indication of the authorities’ willingness to press ahead with its crackdown on peaceful dissent,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
Among those convicted are several senior leaders of Ennahda, the largest opposition party. Ennahda Vice President Noureddine Bhiri received a 43-year prison sentence, while senior officials Said Ferjani and Sahbi Atig were each sentenced to 13 years.
Reuters
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