Tunisia releases two leading opponents of Saied

Two leading opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied were released on Thursday after spending more than five months in jail.

Chaima Issa, a member of the main opposition coalition the National Salvation Front, was arrested in February along with former minister Lazhar Akremi.

"The first thing I'd like to say is that I can't deny my happiness at being free. But it's an incomplete happiness. It's a happiness with a lot of pain, because the injustice I suffered is still being suffered by my friends who are still in the Mornaguia (prison, Ed.). So I can't be happy while they're still in prison", (...) "Without discriminating or excluding all political prisoners, Tunisians need to know that putting them (opponents, Ed.) in prison will not solve their problems", said liberated political opponent Chaima Issa.

Both detainees were among some 20 opposition, media and business figures arrested in February on charges of "conspiracy against state security".

Earlier Thursday, around 100 protesters had rallied in Tunisia's capital to demand freedom for the 20 detained critics of Saied, who has ruled largely by decree for the past two years.