Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Tunisian capital on Saturday, calling for the release of Abir Moussi, a prominent critic of President Kais Saied who has been imprisoned for over a year.
The protesters chanted slogans such as “Freedom for Abir” and “We are opponents, not traitors” during the demonstration held in central Tunis.
Moussi, the leader of the Free Destourian Party, has been detained since October 2023 following an attempt to lodge appeals against Saied’s decrees.
She faces charges of “seeking to change the form of the state,” a serious offense under Tunisian law.
Saied, who was elected president in 2019, has consolidated power through a series of controversial measures, effectively ruling by decree since 2021.
His re-election in October 2024, which saw his main opponents jailed, has been widely criticized by international observers.
Moussi, who had hoped to run in the 2024 presidential election, was sentenced to 16 months in prison in November on charges of spreading “false news.”
The demonstration highlights the ongoing political tensions in Tunisia, where civil liberties and democratic freedoms have been significantly curtailed under President Saied’s rule.