The incident marks the latest sign of friction between Tunisia’s leadership and international partners over the country’s handling of civil society or opposition groups. EU Ambassador Giuseppe Perrone met Monday with UGTT Leader, Noureddine Taboubi, praising the union’s Nobel Peace Prize winning role in 2015 and stressing continued cooperation with Tunisia’s civil society.
“Saied conveyed a strongly worded protest over the failure to adhere to diplomatic protocols and acting outside the official channels,” the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. Saied’s government has launched a crackdown on civil society, leading to the suspension of many groups including Democratic Women, Nawaat Journalists, and the Economic and Social Forum.
Amnesty International has said the crackdown on rights groups has reached critical levels with arbitrary arrests, detentions, asset freezes, banking restrictions and suspensions targeting 14 nongovernmental organisations. While the UGTT, with its one million members, has not yet faced any official decisions, it has voiced complaints about restrictions on trade union rights and the unilateral suspension of agreements with the authorities.
–Reuters–
