All articles tagged with #kais saied
Supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied rallied in Tunis amid increasing protests and accusations from rights groups of using the judiciary and police to suppress opposition and consolidate autocratic power, against a backdrop of economic crisis and political divisions.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has rejected financial support from the European Union, stating that the amount is small and conflicts with a deal signed three months ago. This move could undermine the "strategic partnership" between Tunisia and the EU, which includes measures to combat human trafficking and tighten borders. The dispute comes as Tunisia faces a migration crisis and struggles with its economy, raising concerns about potential default on foreign debts. Some European countries, including Germany, oppose the immigration deal, citing human rights issues and the political situation in Tunisia after Saied seized power.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has rejected financial support from the European Union, stating that the proposed amount conflicts with a deal signed in July. The EU had announced 127 million euros in aid to Tunisia as part of a strategic partnership to combat illegal immigration. The rejection could undermine the agreement and strain relations between the two parties. Tunisia's struggling economy and the influx of migrants from North Africa have further complicated the situation, with concerns of a potential default on foreign debts. Some European countries, including Germany, have criticized the deal for not addressing human rights issues and the political situation in Tunisia following Saied's seizure of power.
Tunisian President Kais Saied condemned the recent shooting at Africa's oldest synagogue, which killed five people, including two Jewish men, and injured four others. The attacker, a member of the Tunisian National Guard, was shot dead by security forces. The motive behind the attack is still under investigation, and authorities have not yet referred to it as a terrorist attack. The incident occurred during an annual Jewish pilgrimage, and the president sought to reassure the world that Tunisia remains safe despite attempts to disturb its stability.
Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has been detained by authorities on charges of "conspiracy against state security" after making comments warning about the potential for civil war if Tunisia's various political currents were excluded. Ghannouchi's daughter claims his words have been taken out of context. Critics fear that President Kais Saied's moves against the opposition, including Ghannouchi's arrest, will lead to more crackdowns and restrictions on political pluralism and human rights in Tunisia.
Tunisian security forces arrested the leader of the main opposition party, Rachid Ghannouchi, and shuttered its headquarters, escalating a crackdown on the president’s critics in this formerly authoritarian North African country. Ghannouchi is being held at a military facility in Tunis, apparently on terrorism charges. The arrest of Ghannouchi, a prominent and polarizing figure in Tunisian politics for half a century, is a major step, even amid a wave of arrests targeting President Kais Saied’s opponents in recent months.
Tunisian authorities have closed the headquarters of the opposition Ennahdha party and arrested its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, as part of a continuing crackdown on political opponents. Ennahdha was the largest party in Tunisia's parliament before it was dissolved by President Kais Saied in July 2021. Since early February, more than 20 political opponents and personalities have been arrested, including politicians, former ministers, businessmen, and trade unionists. Human rights groups have criticized the arrests, which targeted leading figures of the National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition, which includes Ennahdha.
Tunisian police have detained opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi and raided the headquarters of his Ennahda party. Ghannouchi has emerged as one of the biggest critics of President Kais Saied since the leader shut down parliament. The police detained Ghannouchi for questioning and searched his house on the orders of the public prosecutor investigating “inciting statements”. Ghannouchi has faced repeated rounds of judicial questioning over the past year on charges relating to Ennahda’s finances and allegations it enabled Tunisians to leave the North African country and join ISIL (ISIS) as well as other armed groups after longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was removed from power in 2011.
Tunisian President Kais Saied's almost two-week absence has raised questions about his health and succession in a country that has become increasingly authoritarian since he took power. Despite his reappearance, the mystery of his whereabouts remains unsolved. Whereas Saied downplayed his absence, analysts say it is cause for concern when the man who wields a multitude of powers is inexplicably absent for almost two weeks.
Tunisia is facing a surge in public expressions of racism against sub-Saharan African migrants, coinciding with an influx of migrants using the country as a transit point to Europe. Critics blame President Kais Saied for unleashing xenophobia and exposing the dark underbelly of anti-Black racism in the country. Saied's theory about a plot to change the racial makeup of the country echoes the Great Replacement theory, a popular theme in White supremacist and right-wing discourse in Europe and North America that accuses elites of using immigration to replace the native population.