Tunisian President Kais Saied has prolonged the state of emergency across the nation until the close of 2024, continuing a measure initially put in place in 2015 after an attack killed several presidential guards. This decision marks another step in President Saied's ongoing consolidation of power, which began in earnest in July 2021 with the ousting of the prime minister, the suspension of parliament, and the assumption of full executive authority.
This extension of emergency powers has been met with criticism from several Tunisian political factions, which view it as a constitutional breach and a regression from the democratic gains achieved since the 2011 revolution. Critics accuse President Saied of attempting to restructure the governmental system to augment presidential authority.
In related developments, Rached Ghannouchi, a prominent Tunisian political figure and leader of the Ennahdha party, has been handed an additional three-year prison sentence for illicitly receiving funds from abroad for his party. Ghannouchi, 82, who was already incarcerated under other charges including "terrorism," faces heightened conflict with President Saied, particularly given Ghannouchi's outspoken criticism of the president's policies.
Rafik Abdessalam, Ghannouchi's son-in-law, was also sentenced to three years in prison in the same case, though he was absent from the court proceedings. Moreover, the court imposed a hefty fine of $1.17 million on the Ennahdha party.
Ghannouchi's arrest in April 2023 followed comments he made that were perceived as a threat to national security, warning of potential conflict should certain political factions be marginalized. His initial arrest and subsequent sentencing were partly in response to remarks made at a funeral, which were interpreted as derogatory towards the police.
Opposition leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi contends that Ghannouchi is being denied a fair trial, asserting that the government is leveraging its power to suppress dissent. The imprisonment of Ghannouchi is indicative of a broader crackdown on opposition figures in Tunisia, including the arrest of another opposition leader, Abir Moussi.
These measures have sparked international concern over human rights and freedoms in Tunisia, particularly given the pivotal role Ghannouchi's party played in the post-2011 revolution era, which saw the end of decades-long dictatorship.