GENEVA - UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday called on Tunisia to end its pattern of widening repression targeting civil society organisations, journalists, human rights defenders, opposition figures, activists and members of the judiciary, through the imposition of criminal proceedings and administrative impediments.
"The continued repression and restrictions on civic space by the Tunisian authorities undermine the rights of people protected under the country's Constitution and its international human rights obligations," Türk said.
Among the most recent examples of this crackdown are the temporary suspensions of major human rights and civil society organisations. On Tuesday, a Tunisian court suspended international organisation Avocats Sans Frontières for 30 days, citing a regulatory oversight. This comes days after a similar suspension entered against the prominent Tunisian League for Human Rights. The authorities often cite funding and audit irregularities as the basis for such suspensions, which can completely halt organizations' entire range of essential human rights work.
"We are observing a growing trend in which Tunisian authorities are resorting to the use of judicially imposed sanctions to curb the exercise of the right to freedom of association with barest consideration for the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality required for such limitations to be permissible."
In parallel, government restrictions on the media continue to intensify. On 24 April, journalist Zied El Heni was arrested based on a law that vaguely criminalises the use of telecommunication networks to "harm others". He remains in pre-trial detention. Twenty-eight other journalists, among them Mourad Zghidi, were arrested last year, tried and sentenced to various prison terms for conduct linked to their professional activities, based on broadly worded provisions of a 2022 decree-law "combating crimes related to information and communication systems", and other legislation.
"I urge the Tunisian authorities to release immediately and unconditionally all those detained or imprisoned for having expressed their views, protected under international human rights law, and to lift all arbitrary restrictions on the freedoms of expression and association," the High Commissioner said, adding that the lack of a functioning constitutional court remains a major institutional shortfall in ensuring effective human rights safeguards.
"Restrictions on fundamental freedoms must remain exceptional, grounded in clear law, be necessary and proportionate to pursue a legitimate objective, non-discriminatory and accompanied by due process and effective judicial oversight. Upholding the rule of law in Tunisia requires stronger institutional safeguards, the protection of civic space, and inclusive, rights based legislative reform, in line with the country's international human rights commitments."
"Tunisia's democratic and human rights gains after 2011 must be maintained, not progressively dismantled," Türk said, adding that the UN Human Rights Office encourages ongoing efforts by Tunisian lawmakers to amend the 2022 decree-law, being used to criminalise forms of protected speech, including criticism of public officials.
