Prominent Tunisian Opposition Figure Arrested at Protest in Capital

Tunisian police arrested prominent opposition figure Chaima Issa during a protest in the capital. Her arrest follows an appeals court sentencing opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers to up to 45 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied. Issa, sentenced to 20 years, called the charges politically motivated and urged continued protests. Human Rights Watch condemned the trial as a “travesty of justice.”

Police in Tunisia arrested prominent opposition figure Chaima Issa on Saturday as she participated in a protest in the capital. Her arrest comes a day after an appeals court sentenced a group of opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers to jail terms of up to 45 years on charges of conspiracy to overthrow President Kais Saied. The ruling has been widely interpreted as a sign of increasingly authoritarian governance.

Moments before her arrest, Issa and two other convicted politicians urged the fractured opposition to unite and escalate demonstrations against Saied. “They will arrest me shortly,” she told the crowds, calling on Tunisians to continue protesting and rejecting tyranny. Issa, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, described the charges against her as politically motivated and unjust. Authorities have indicated that further arrests are likely.

Human Rights Watch condemned the trial on Friday, calling it a “travesty of justice.” Since seizing sweeping powers in July 2021, Saied has suspended parliament and expanded executive authority, ruling by decree. During this period, he has jailed many critics. Saied maintains that his actions are legal and necessary to end years of political chaos and corruption.