HRW denounces EU shameful silence over growing erosion of human rights in Tunisia

Human Rights Watch has called on the European Union to break its silence and publicly condemn the deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia. The EU member states should stop pretending they can satisfy their immediate interests by cozying up with an increasingly repressive leadership in Tunis,said HRW in its latest press release.

The Tunisian regime of Kais Saied has crushed political opposition; threatened,intimidated,and targeted civil society groups; drastically curtailed freedom of expression and the press; undermined the independence of the judiciary; cracked down on migrants,asylum seekers and refugees; and criminalized assistance to them.

The EU should review cooperation agreements with Tunisia to ensure they are tied to compliance with international human rights obligations,and end support to security agencies committing human rights violations,said the NGO.

In April,a Tunisian court issued sentences in a mass trial of 40 lawyers,opposition figures,and critics of the president. Thirty-seven defendants were sentenced to heavy prison terms of up to 66 years after just three court sessions,during which they were not heard or given a real opportunity to present their defense.

They were charged with conspiracy against state security and terrorism,connected to political activities like meeting with European diplomats,such as the French and Italian ambassadors.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the convictions and called on the Tunisian authorities to put an end to the wider pattern of political prosecution.

Since 2021,Tunisian authorities have taken full advantage of the lack of international condemnation to move forward with their crackdown. The authorities have weaponized arbitrary detention and abusive prosecutions against people perceived as critical of the government,targeting opponents from across the political spectrum. Some of those detained on abusive charges face the death penalty if convicted.

Last year,Saied won reelection after excluding or arresting almost all opposition candidates. Despite the escalating repression and full-scale crackdown on dissidents,the EU and international community remained largely silent,focusing more on cooperation & migration control rather than the alarming declining human rights situation in the country.