“Submission”: The massive test begins in Tunisia of political opponents | Human Rights News

Human rights groups deny the trials as additional evidence of repression against President's opposition.

The collective process of about 40 opposition figures has begun in Tunisia, with rights claiming for repression against votes critical of Tunisian President Cayce Said, to be politically motivated.

Many of the defendantswho are accused of crimes ranging from “conspiracy against State Security” to “belonging to a terrorist group” are remarkable critics of the President, including politicians, former diplomats, lawyers and high -profile media data

The defendant's families have been reported to have crowded the court of the court at first instance in the Tunisian capital on Tuesday, chanting “freedom” and accusing the judicial system of acting on government orders.

“We are faced with the largest of judicial scandals,” said Basam Trifi, head of the Tunisian League for the Protection of Human Rights. “This is one of the most dark injustice in Tunisia's history.”

The allegations of revocation of democratic profits of the country's revolution of 2011. Saied from its dramatic holding of power from July 2021.When he closed Parliament and fired his spokesman and Prime Minister, introducing a period of presidential decree with a decree.

Many of those who are currently tested were prominent critics of this process, such as Jauhar Ben Mubak, who runs both the National Salvation Front and the citizens against the coup group – both formed in protest against Saed's suspension against parliament. Ben Mbarek was arrested in a series of attacks on Said critics in February 2023.

Others in the court include former President Staff Nadia Akaka, former intelligence head Kamel Guyani and former opposition party leader Echda, Abdelhamid Jelassiwhich, like Ben Mbarek, was arrested in 2023

Ben Mharak, Jelazas and four other defendants – politicians Hayam Turks, Iam Cheby and Gazi Chauachi and lawyer Ridha Belhaj, all of whom were held in preliminary arrest – it was forbidden to attend the court, the international committee said. “

Akaca and Gizan live abroad.

Human Rights Watch condemned the mass process by calling it a “mockery.”

“The Tunisian authorities must immediately release all arrests in the last two years in the so-called” conspiracy “case of abuse of accusations of security and terrorism crimes and put an end to this mockery of a lawsuit,” said Basam Hawaja, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa.

This move is only the most repression against Saied's political opponents.

Rached Ghannouchi, 83-year-old Muslim Democrat party leader Echda, who also chaired parliament, has been sentenced to over 26 years in prison after individual litigation after he has been sentenced to over 26 years in prison after having had any trial He was first arrested in April 2023.

And at the opposite end of the political spectrum, Abir Mussy, the leader of the secular free constitutional party, has also been in prison since 2023.

Despite Said's assurances on Sunday that he never interfered with the judiciary, the president is widely accused of the opposite. Tunisian and International Human Rights Groups have earlier weakening of the Saied judiciary weakening As a check of his authority, including the rejection of judges and the termination of a body that guarantees the independence of the judiciary in 2023.

Tunisian courts also played a critical role in removing almost all Saied rivals from running in last year's presidential electionHe closed several of his rivals about what critics have identified as false accusations and banned them from running for elections.

Rights and international authorities continue to criticize Saied's actions. Amnesty International called for the termination of politically motivated prosecutions, while the United Nations organization also called for the end of the persecution of political opponents and activists.

At the same time, Tunisia has warm relations with the European Union focused on Tunisia, which fails on migrants and refugee routes in Europe from North Africa.