Fri Apr 18 20:15:51 UTC 2025: ## International Committee Condemns Tunisia’s Crackdown on Opposition Leader Rached Ghannouchi

**Tunis, Tunisia** – The International Committee for Solidarity with Rached Ghannouchi has denounced the ongoing imprisonment of the prominent Tunisian opposition leader, marking the second anniversary of his arrest. The committee alleges Ghannouchi is being unjustly held on fabricated charges, facing over 15 cases resulting in several convictions and sentences, including a recent 22-year term for alleged plotting against state security. A previous three-year sentence stemmed from accusations of his party receiving foreign funds. Ghannouchi, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, was initially arrested in April 2023 for incitement.

The committee’s statement, released Thursday, describes Ghannouchi’s prosecution as part of a broader repressive campaign targeting opposition voices, including journalists, activists, and lawyers. They accuse President Saied’s regime of exploiting the judiciary for political retribution, suppressing organized action, controlling media, and silencing dissent.

This condemnation follows a similar statement by Human Rights Watch (HRW) earlier this week, which called for an end to the crackdown and the release of all detainees. HRW’s report highlighted the use of arbitrary detention to eliminate dissent, characterizing Saied’s rule as authoritarian since his 2021 dissolution of parliament. HRW’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa director, Bassam Khawaja, stated that Saied’s government has “returned the country to an era of political prisoners.”

Dozens of opposition figures have been arrested since 2023, raising concerns about the erosion of democratic gains achieved during the 2011 Arab Spring. President Saied denies accusations of authoritarianism, claiming his actions are necessary to address political chaos and corruption. The international community’s mounting criticism underscores growing concerns over the state of human rights and political freedoms in Tunisia.

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