Tunisian police on Saturday arrested leading opposition figure Chaima Issa while she participated in a demonstration in Tunis, a day after an appeals court issued prison sentences of up to 45 years against several opposition politicians, lawyers, and businessmen.
The defendants were convicted of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied, a ruling widely viewed as further evidence of the country’s drift toward authoritarianism.
Issa, who received a 20-year sentence, has repeatedly dismissed the charges as fabricated and politically driven.
Moments before her arrest, Issa and two other convicted politicians urged the fragmented opposition to unite and intensify nationwide protests.
“They will arrest me shortly,” she told the crowd, calling on Tunisians to resist “tyranny.”
Human Rights Watch condemned the mass trial on Friday, labeling it a “travesty of justice.”
Since his power grab in July 2021—when he suspended parliament and assumed sweeping executive authority—Saied has detained numerous critics.
The president insists his actions are lawful and necessary to end years of political turmoil and corruption. More arrests are anticipated.
