Police in Tunisia have detained prominent opposition leader Chaima Issa during a protest in the capital on Saturday. Her arrest follows a controversial court ruling in which several opposition figures, businessmen, and lawyers received prison sentences of up to 45 years for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied.
This ruling has sparked concerns about the increasingly authoritarian nature of Saied’s government. Just before her arrest, Issa, who faces a 20-year prison term, urged the fragmented opposition to unite and escalate protests against the president. “They will arrest me shortly,” she told the crowd, calling on Tunisians to persist in their fight against tyranny.
Issa has condemned the charges against her as politically motivated and unjust. Rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have characterized the trial as a “travesty of justice,” amplifying fears of further crackdowns on dissent.
Since seizing power in a July 2021 coup, Saied has suspended parliament and assumed extensive executive powers, justifying his actions as necessary to restore order and combat corruption. However, his regime’s response to dissent has raised alarms among activists and international observers.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS.COM
