Tunisia’s main opposition coalition has described the string of arrests targeting critics of President Kais Saied as “repressive, violent, and legally baseless”.
Several prominent politicians, two judges, a leading journalist, and a senior union official have been detained in recent days.
The United States expressed “deep concern” about the reported arrests in recent days on Wednesday.
“We respect the Tunisian people’s desire for an independent and transparent judiciary capable of protecting fundamental freedoms for all,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
President Saied shut down Tunisia’s parliament eighteen months ago and moved to rule by decree before rewriting the country’s constitution. He is accused of plotting a coup.
The United Nations has expressed concern about the arrests, but the president has insisted that those detained are traitors who are to blame for skyrocketing prices and severe food shortages.
