The organisation’s latest report comes as several senior opposition figures face trial on charges of conspiring against state security. HRW said the prosecutions appear to be politically motivated and part of a broader strategy to stifle dissent.

Since Saied dissolved Tunisia’s parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree, concerns have grown over the erosion of democratic gains made since the 2011 uprising. Opposition parties say the president has tightened his grip on power and undermined judicial independence, accusing him of steering the country towards one-man rule.

They have labelled his actions a “coup”, a term Saied has strongly rejected. He insists that his measures are lawful and necessary to root out endemic corruption and restore order after years of political gridlock.

“I am not establishing a dictatorship,” Saied said in a previous statement, stressing that his intent is to safeguard the nation from collapse, not to dismantle its democratic foundations.

The HRW report echoes longstanding concerns from civil society groups, activists, and international observers who say Tunisia is slipping back into authoritarianism under the guise of reform.

--ChannelAfrica--