The families of dozens of jailed opposition figures in Tunisia are among the few remaining voices demanding democratic freedoms, as they seek the release of loved ones held in what rights groups have called a crackdown on dissent by President Kais Saied.
The leaders of the main opposition parties in Tunisia have been jailed within the last three years, along with dozens of politicians, journalists, businessmen and others on charges of conspiring against state security, money laundering, and corruption – charges they say are fabricated.
Among the family members to protest is Youssef Chaouachi, a 35-year-old engineer who became an activist after his father, one of the most prominent opposition figures, was detained three years ago. Ghazi Chaouachi, a Social Democrat, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2025 on charges of conspiring to overthrow Saied, which he strongly denies.
“We are now the ones organizing protests, speaking to the media, and putting ourselves on the front lines. We didn’t choose this role,” said Youssef Chaouachi, who demonstrated on a street in Tunis last month gripping a picture of his father.
The detentions and prosecutions have been so sweeping that few opposition voices are still free in a nation once feted as a success story of the 2011 Arab Spring, by local and international human rights groups.
“It feels like the revolution never happened,” Chaouachi said.
Tunisia’s government media office did not respond to a request for comment about claims of a crackdown and fabricated charges. The president has said repeatedly in meetings with ministers, most recently at the end of 2025, that he is in “the process of cleansing the country of the corrupt and traitors”.
Tunisia’s Supreme Judicial Council was dissolved by the president and dozens of judges were dismissed in 2022 on accusations of corruption and obstruction of justice, in a move the opposition says undermined judicial independence.
Justice Minister Leila Jeffel told parliament last December that the courts apply the law, the ministry is committed to justice, and will not wrong anyone. She also said the judiciary is independent and judges have nothing to fear.
The Ministry could not be reached for comment.
The stifling of dissent moved the four relatives of four different detainees interviewed by Reuters to go beyond simply campaigning for their release to organize marches, form advocacy groups and give media interviews calling for political change and the restoration of civil liberties.
At present in Tunisia, most political parties are either inactive or their leaders are in prison.
–Reuters–
