Latest news with #Ennahdha
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Tunisia an ‘open-air prison', say protesters at anti-President Saied march
Hundreds of Tunisian activists have protested against President Kais Saied, calling his rule since 2021 an 'authoritarian regime' that has turned the country into an 'open-air prison'. The protesters marched in capital Tunis on Friday, marking four years since Saied made moves to consolidate his one-man rule in a country once known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings. Chanting the slogan, 'The Republic is a large prison,' they demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of Ennahdha, the self-styled 'Muslim Democrat' party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party. They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, activists and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others have fled the country, seeking asylum in Western countries. On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his prime minister and invoked a state of emergency to begin ruling by decree, ordering mass arrests and politically motivated trials to silence dissent. Though some cheered his efforts, critics called the moves a coup and said the events marked the beginning of Tunisia's descent towards authoritarianism. Protesters also chanted slogans such as 'No fear, no terror … streets belong to the people' and 'The people want the fall of the regime' as they carried portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the state of political life in Tunisia. 'Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees,' Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told the Reuters news agency. Prisons are 'crowded' with Saied's opponents, activists, and journalists, said Saib Souab, son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is a critical voice of Saied. 'Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison … Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason,' he told Reuters. In 2022, Saied also dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a move the opposition said was aimed to cement the one-man rule. Saied said he does not interfere in the judiciary, but no one is above accountability, regardless of their name or position. In 2023, Saied said the politicians were 'traitors and terrorists' and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices. July 25 also marks the anniversary of Tunisia's declaration as a republic in 1957. It later became the rallying cry of the pro-Saied 'July 25 Movement', which pushed for a crackdown on the country's largely unpopular political class. Samir Dilou, a former government minister and member of Ennahdha, said Saied had forever changed the day's meaning. 'July 25 used to mark the Republic's founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption,' he said.
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Once a leading force, battered Tunisian party awaits elusive comeback
But observers say that Ennahdha, the Islamist-inspired movement still considered by some Tunisians as the country's main opposition party, could still bounce back after a devastating government crackdown. On July 25, 2021, Saied stunned the country when he suspended parliament and dissolved the government, a move critics denounced as a "coup" a decade after the Arab Spring revolt ushered in a democratic transition in the North African country. Many of Saied's critics have been prosecuted and jailed, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, a former parliament speaker who was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in prison for plotting against the state. Ghannouchi, who was arrested in 2023, has racked up several prison terms, including a 22-year sentence handed in February on the same charge. The crackdown over the past four years has seen around 150 Ennahdha figures imprisoned, prosecuted or living in exile, according to a party official. "Some believe the movement is dead, but that is not the case," said political scientist Slaheddine Jourchi. Ennahdha has been "weakened to the point of clinical death" but remained the most prominent party in Tunisia's "fragmented and fragile" opposition, Jourchi added. 'Once we're free again' Riadh Chaibi, a party official and adviser to Ghannouchi, said that even after "shrinking" its political platform, Ennahdah was still a relevant opposition outlet. "Despite repression, prosecutions and imprisonment" since 2021, "Ennahdha remains the country's largest political movement," Chaibi said. He said the current government has been "weaponising state institutions to eliminate political opponents", but "once we're free again, like we were in 2011, Ennahdha will regain its strength". Since 2011, when Ghannouchi returned from exile to lead the party, Ennahdha for years had a key role in Tunisian politics, holding the premiership and other senior roles. But by 2019, the year Saied was elected president, the party's popularity had already begun waning, winning only a third of the 1.5 million votes it had in 2011. Experts ascribed this trend to the party's failure to improve living standards and address pressing socio-economic issues. Ennahdha has also been accused of jihadist links, which it has repeatedly denied. Saied, who religiously avoids mentioning either Ennahdha or Ghannouchi by name, has often referred to the party's years in power as "the black decade" and accused it of committing "crimes against the country". Crowds of Tunisians, increasingly disillusioned as a political deadlock trumped Ennahdha's promise of change, poured into the streets in celebration when Saied forced the party out of the halls of power in 2021. Analyst Jourchi said Ennahdha's rise to power was a "poorly prepared adventure", and the party had "made many mistakes along the way". Left-wing politician Mongi Rahoui said it was "only natural that Ennahdha leaders and their governing partners be prosecuted for crimes they used their political position to commit". Today, the party's activities have been reduced mostly to issuing statements online, often reacting to prison sentences handed down to critics of Saied. 'Silence everything' But Ennahdha has weathered repression before, harshly suppressed under Tunisia's autocratic presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Party leaders were jailed or forced into exile, and Ghannouchi was sentenced to life in prison under Bourguiba but then freed -- and later exiled -- under Ben Ali. Tunisian historian Abdellatif Hannachi said that the party "seems to be bending with the wind, waiting for changes that would allow it to return". It has been in "clear decline", he added, but "that does not mean it's disappearing." Ennahdha's downfall was not an isolated case. Other opposition forces have also been crushed, and dozens of political, media and business figures are currently behind bars. "This regime no longer distinguishes between Islamist and secular, progressive and conservative," rights advocate Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister, recently said in a Facebook post. Saied's government "wants to silence everything that thinks, that criticises, or resists", Jendoubi argued. The opposition, however, remains fractured, failing for example to come together in rallies planned for the anniversary this month of Saied's power grab. © 2025 AFP
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Once a leading force, battered Tunisian party awaits elusive comeback
TUNIS: The party that once dominated Tunisian politics has faded away since President Kais Saied staged a dramatic power grab, with its offices shuttered and leaders behind bars or in exile. But observers say that Ennahdha, the Islamist-inspired movement still considered by some Tunisians as the country's main opposition party, could still bounce back after a devastating government crackdown. On July 25, 2021, Saied stunned the country when he suspended parliament and dissolved the government, a move critics denounced as a 'coup' a decade after the Arab Spring revolt ushered in a democratic transition in the North African country. Many of Saied's critics have been prosecuted and jailed, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, a former parliament speaker who was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in prison for plotting against the state. Ghannouchi, who was arrested in 2023, has racked up several prison terms, including a 22-year sentence handed in February on the same charge. The crackdown over the past four years has seen around 150 Ennahdha figures imprisoned, prosecuted or living in exile, according to a party official. 'Some believe the movement is dead, but that is not the case,' said political scientist Slaheddine Jourchi. Ennahdha has been 'weakened to the point of clinical death' but remained the most prominent party in Tunisia's 'fragmented and fragile' opposition, Jourchi added. 'Crimes against the country' Riadh Chaibi, a party official and adviser to Ghannouchi, said that even after 'shrinking' its political platform, Ennahdah was still a relevant opposition outlet. 'Despite repression, prosecutions and imprisonment' since 2021, 'Ennahdha remains the country's largest political movement,' Chaibi said. He said the current government has been 'weaponizing state institutions to eliminate political opponents,' but 'once we're free again, like we were in 2011, Ennahdha will regain its strength.' Since 2011, when Ghannouchi returned from exile to lead the party, Ennahdha for years had a key role in Tunisian politics, holding the premiership and other senior roles. But by 2019, the year Saied was elected president, the party's popularity had already begun waning, winning only a third of the 1.5 million votes it had in 2011. Experts ascribed this trend to the party's failure to improve living standards and address pressing socio-economic issues. Ennahdha has also been accused of jihadist links, which it has repeatedly denied. Saied, who religiously avoids mentioning either Ennahdha or Ghannouchi by name, has often referred to the party's years in power as 'the black decade' and accused it of committing 'crimes against the country.' Crowds of Tunisians, increasingly disillusioned as a political deadlock trumped Ennahdha's promise of change, poured into the streets in celebration when Saied forced the party out of the halls of power in 2021. Analyst Jourchi said Ennahdha's rise to power was a 'poorly prepared adventure,' and the party had 'made many mistakes along the way.' Left-wing politician Mongi Rahoui said it was 'only natural that Ennahdha leaders and their governing partners be prosecuted for crimes they used their political position to commit.' Today, the party's activities have been reduced mostly to issuing statements online, often reacting to prison sentences handed down to critics of Saied. 'Weathering repression' But Ennahdha has weathered repression before, harshly suppressed under Tunisia's autocratic presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Party leaders were jailed or forced into exile, and Ghannouchi was sentenced to life in prison under Bourguiba but then freed — and later exiled — under Ben Ali. Tunisian historian Abdellatif Hannachi said that the party 'seems to be bending with the wind, waiting for changes that would allow it to return.' It has been in 'clear decline,' he added, but 'that does not mean it's disappearing.' Ennahdha's downfall was not an isolated case. Other opposition forces have also been crushed, and dozens of political, media and business figures are currently behind bars. 'This regime no longer distinguishes between Islamist and secular, progressive and conservative,' rights advocate Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister, recently said in a Facebook post. Saied's government 'wants to silence everything that thinks, that criticizes, or resists,' Jendoubi argued. The opposition, however, remains fractured, failing for example to come together in rallies planned for the anniversary this month of Saied's power grab.
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Once A Leading Force, Battered Tunisian Party Awaits Elusive Comeback
The party that once dominated Tunisian politics has faded away since President Kais Saied staged a dramatic power grab, with its offices shuttered and leaders behind bars or in exile. But observers say that Ennahdha, the Islamist-inspired movement still considered by some Tunisians as the country's main opposition party, could still bounce back after a devastating government crackdown. On July 25, 2021, Saied stunned the country when he suspended parliament and dissolved the government, a move critics denounced as a "coup" a decade after the Arab Spring revolt ushered in a democratic transition in the North African country. Many of Saied's critics have been prosecuted and jailed, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, a former parliament speaker who was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in prison for plotting against the state. Ghannouchi, who was arrested in 2023, has racked up several prison terms, including a 22-year sentence handed in February on the same charge. The crackdown over the past four years has seen around 150 Ennahdha figures imprisoned, prosecuted or living in exile, according to a party official. "Some believe the movement is dead, but that is not the case," said political scientist Slaheddine Jourchi. Ennahdha has been "weakened to the point of clinical death" but remained the most prominent party in Tunisia's "fragmented and fragile" opposition, Jourchi added. Riadh Chaibi, a party official and adviser to Ghannouchi, said that even after "shrinking" its political platform, Ennahdah was still a relevant opposition outlet. "Despite repression, prosecutions and imprisonment" since 2021, "Ennahdha remains the country's largest political movement," Chaibi said. He said the current government has been "weaponising state institutions to eliminate political opponents", but "once we're free again, like we were in 2011, Ennahdha will regain its strength". Since 2011, when Ghannouchi returned from exile to lead the party, Ennahdha for years had a key role in Tunisian politics, holding the premiership and other senior roles. But by 2019, the year Saied was elected president, the party's popularity had already begun waning, winning only a third of the 1.5 million votes it had in 2011. Experts ascribed this trend to the party's failure to improve living standards and address pressing socio-economic issues. Ennahdha has also been accused of jihadist links, which it has repeatedly denied. Saied, who religiously avoids mentioning either Ennahdha or Ghannouchi by name, has often referred to the party's years in power as "the black decade" and accused it of committing "crimes against the country". Crowds of Tunisians, increasingly disillusioned as a political deadlock trumped Ennahdha's promise of change, poured into the streets in celebration when Saied forced the party out of the halls of power in 2021. Analyst Jourchi said Ennahdha's rise to power was a "poorly prepared adventure", and the party had "made many mistakes along the way". Left-wing politician Mongi Rahoui said it was "only natural that Ennahdha leaders and their governing partners be prosecuted for crimes they used their political position to commit". Today, the party's activities have been reduced mostly to issuing statements online, often reacting to prison sentences handed down to critics of Saied. But Ennahdha has weathered repression before, harshly suppressed under Tunisia's autocratic presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Party leaders were jailed or forced into exile, and Ghannouchi was sentenced to life in prison under Bourguiba but then freed -- and later exiled -- under Ben Ali. Tunisian historian Abdellatif Hannachi said that the party "seems to be bending with the wind, waiting for changes that would allow it to return". It has been in "clear decline", he added, but "that does not mean it's disappearing." Ennahdha's downfall was not an isolated case. Other opposition forces have also been crushed, and dozens of political, media and business figures are currently behind bars. "This regime no longer distinguishes between Islamist and secular, progressive and conservative," rights advocate Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister, recently said in a Facebook post. Saied's government "wants to silence everything that thinks, that criticises, or resists", Jendoubi argued. The opposition, however, remains fractured, failing for example to come together in rallies planned for the anniversary this month of Saied's power grab.
France 24
09-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Tunisian court sentences opposition leaders for 'plotting against the state'
A Tunisian court on Tuesday sentenced several leading politicians to jail terms of 12 to 35 years for "plotting against the state", including the leader of the main opposition party, local media reported. Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, was sentenced to 14 years, his party said. He was already jailed and had refused to attend his trial. Around 20 people were prosecuted in this case, including Nadia Akacha, former chief of staff to President Kais Saied, and Rafik Abdessalem, Ghannouchi's son-in-law and former foreign minister. Both, who are currently living abroad, were sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison, according to media reports. They were accused of "conspiracy against the internal security of the State" and "forming an organisation and conspiracy related to terrorist crimes". Ghannouchi and other Ennahdha leaders, along with retired military officer Kamel ben Bedoui, were accused of establishing a "secret security apparatus" in the service of the Islamist party, which won the post-revolution elections in 2011. Ghannouchi was speaker of parliament at the time of President Saied's coup in the summer of 2021. He was sentenced in early February to 22 years in prison, also for "conspiracy against state security". In April, another mega-trial sentenced numerous opposition figures to terms of up to 66 years in prison, also for "conspiracy". President Saied assumed full powers in July 2021, in what his opponents have described as a coup, and since then Tunisian and foreign NGOs have reported a regression of rights and freedoms in the country that was the birthplace of the "Arab Spring". Numerous journalists, bloggers and lawyers have been arrested or are under investigation under a decree-law purporting to combat "fake news", but which rights groups say has been widely used to repress dissent.
