TUNIS: As rights organizations condemn yet latest repression of freedoms in the increasingly authoritarian North African country, Tunisia has announced its intention to leave the African Union’s human rights court.
In a statement that activists have been spreading since Thursday, Tunisia declared “the withdrawal of its recognition of the competence of the (African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights) to accept cases from individuals and non-governmental organizations. The statement did not explain the government’s decision to leave the Arusha-based court, which is charged with upholding the AU’s human rights charter. As the sole democracy left standing after the Arab Spring of 2011, Tunisia allowed its citizens and nongovernmental organizations to petition the court in 2017.
After winning the presidency in 2019, Kais Saied staged a massive power grab in 2021, and human rights organizations have since expressed alarm about a reversal of liberties. Many of his most vocal detractors are incarcerated at the moment.
Some are being charged with conspiracy against the state in a mass trial that is now underway. Human rights organizations have condemned the case as being politically motivated.
A complaint demanding the release of four incarcerated opposition activists, including Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahdha party, was filed with the African court in May 2023 by their relatives.
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