Tunisian opposition politician Abir Moussi sentenced to two years in prison

Tunisian politician Abir Moussi has been sentenced to two years in prison after criticising the legislative electoral process.

A prominent critic of Tunisian President Kais Saied, Moussi is head of the right-wing Free Destourian Party and has been detained since 2023. She was charged with “attempting to change the form of government,” “inciting violence,” and “attacking with the aim of provoking disorder” after she tried to submit an appeal against presidential decrees ahead of local elections.

Her sentencing on Thursday is part of what government critics say is a crackdown on opposition politicians.

In April, a Tunisian court sentenced 37 people including opposition figures, lawyers, and human rights defenders, to prison terms ranging from four to 74 years following a trial Amnesty International called "farcical". The international rights NGO has called for the verdict to be quashed and the charges against all defendants in the case to be dropped.

Signs of authoritarianism

Such arrests have become increasingly common in Tunisia since Saied took power in 2019 and began a campaign that critics say has reversed the country’s path toward democracy. In the years before he was elected president, the nation of 12 million people emerged as a regional beacon of hope, overthrowing a longtime dictator in a peaceful revolution, rewriting its constitution and winning a Nobel Peace Prize for political compromise.

But signs of authoritarianism have re-emerged since Saied took power while promising to fight corruption and lift the country from years of economic malaise in ways democracy couldn’t. He has suspended parliament, rewritten the constitution to consolidate his power and arrested politicians, activists and journalists who criticized him. In April, Human Rights Watch accused Saied of overseeing politically motivated arrests and prosecutions to intimidate and silence critics

Others arbitrarily detained in Tunisia include both prominent figures and private citizens. Among them are Rached Tamboura, a calligraphy student imprisoned for graffiti denouncing Saied and his treatment of Black migrants; right-wing politician Abir Moussi; and numerous members and former officials of Ennahda, the Islamist party sidelined under Saied’s rule.

The most prominent detainee is the party’s former leader Rached Ghannouchi, arrested in 2023 and now facing multiple charges. His family told Human Rights Watch that some of his requests for routine medical care have been denied.

Also detained is Sihem Bensedrine, a lawyer and former head of Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission, which investigated abuses under longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Bensedrine was charged and imprisoned under Saied.

Human Rights Watch has called on Tunisia’s allies and partners — including the European Union — to review agreements with the country to ensure it complies with human rights obligations.