Tunisians Rally Against Saied, Demand Release of Jailed Lawyer

Over 2,000 Tunisians protested in central Tunis on Friday, denouncing President Kais Saied’s authoritarian rule and calling for the release of rights lawyer Ahmed Souab, according to AFP. Demonstrators accused Saied of turning Tunisia into a “police state” and chanted slogans from the 2011 revolution, including “The people want the fall of the regime.”

The protest followed Souab’s arrest on terrorism-related charges after he accused judges of political bias in a recent mass trial, where 40 opposition figures were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Souab, a defence lawyer in the case, was among those voicing concern over growing repression.

Since Saied’s 2021 power grab, which saw parliament dissolved and rule by decree imposed, civil liberties have sharply declined. The UN human rights chief said the mass trial was “marred by violations,” and international criticism has mounted, including from France and Germany.