Tunisia: Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper On the Human Rights Situation in Tunisia

Five years after President Kais Saied seized extraordinary executive powers on July 25, 2021, Tunisia's human rights situation has dramatically deteriorated, with systematic repression of civil society organizations, journalists, political opponents, independent lawyers, and migrants. Tunisian authorities target NGOs through arbitrary arrests, detentions, and criminal prosecutions using vague laws. At least 46 people connected to NGOs have been prosecuted, and nine NGO workers have been sentenced to prison since January 2026. Tunisian Council for Refugees founder Mustapha Djemali, 81, and project manager Abderrazak Krimi were arrested in May 2024 for their work providing accommodation.