What's happened
Human Rights Watch reports a sustained government crackdown on civil-society groups in Tunisia, using arrests, investigations and suspensions to squeeze space for dissent. The crackdown has intensified since 2022, with dozens charged and several jailed in 2025–2026, including prominent defender Saadia Mosbah.
What's behind the headline?
In-depth take
- The crackdown appears systematic, not incidental, leveraging existing laws to intimidate and dissolve groups.
- Financial pressures, including bank freezes, compound the direct legal actions, threatening sustainable civil-society work.
- The development mirrors a broader regional pattern where authorities curb organized dissent to consolidate power.
- Readers should consider the implications for monitoring human rights and the ability of NGOs to aid vulnerable populations without fear of reprisal.
What’s changing
- The government is expanding tools to suppress civil society, increasing state capacity to shut down groups perceived as dissenting.
How we got here
The 2021 revolution catalyzed a vibrant civil space in Tunisia, but since President Kais Saied’s 2022 consolidation, authorities have weaponized prosecutions, investigations and mass suspensions to target NGOs, refugees’ aid groups and anti-corruption groups. The 49-page report maps how legal tools are used to erode civil-society space ahead of and after the 2024–2026 elections.
Our analysis
All Africa (reporting on HRW findings), Al Jazeera (HRW findings synthesis)
Go deeper
- What new laws or decrees might tighten control next?
- How can international actors support Tunisian civil society without provoking reprisals?
- Which NGOs are at highest risk of suspension or dissolution?
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