Thousands of Tunisians gathered on Saturday in the capital to protest against the jailing of government critics, the curtailing of liberties and economic conditions in the North African country.At least 2,000 people, including activists and political party members, marched for more than two hours through Tunis to demonstrate “against injustices” at a rally organised by the committee defending jailed lawyer Ahmed Souab, AFP journalists and witnesses said.The protest — one of the largest in recent months — made symbolic stops in front of the headquarters of the Tunisian Chemical Group, which has been accused of releasing harmful pollutants in the southern city of Gabes, and outside the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT).The union last month denounced what it branded an “unprecedented rise in threats” to press freedom in Tunisia.Dressed in black and with whistles and red ribbons, the demonstrators shouted “Freedom, freedom!” and called for the release of dozens of opposition figures, journalists, lawyers and humanitarian workers jailed in recent years.Many of those have been held on charges of plotting against President Kais Saied, or on accusations of “spreading false news” under a law Saied enacted in 2022.”Tunisia is going through a dark period on every front — we have political prisoners, imprisoned journalists, and even environmentalists in Gabes,” Souab’s son Saeb, spokesman for the organising committee, told AFP.”My father was convicted in the space of six or seven minutes,” he said. “That should be in the Guinness Book of World Records.” – Tunisia ‘in misery’ -Protesters on Saturday shouted: “The people want the fall of the regime”, echoing chants from the Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.Some held signs reading “Not my president”, referring to Saied who was democratically elected in 2019 before staging a power grab two years later.”We’ve had enough of this president and the group around him,” Nejia Adjmi, 63, a retired pastry chef, told AFP.”The country is in misery — we can’t buy anything, the country is collapsing, the hospitals are in bad shape,” she said.”We can’t even express ourselves on social media anymore,” Adjmi added, saying she was a close friend of Saber Chouchane, who was sentenced to death and then pardoned in October for criticising the president and Justice Minister Leila Jaffel on Facebook.Amel, a 68-year-old retired psychologist, said she was “outraged that people are put in prison just for expressing an opinion”.”We don’t know why they are being held,” she added. “They’re being subjected to one trial after another in order to prevent their release.”Tunisian and international rights groups have decried the erosion of rights and freedoms since Saied’s 2021 power grab.Citizens have also complained of their reduced purchasing power because of inflation, with food products particularly affected.”With poverty and inflation the country has hit rock bottom,” said shoemaker Hichem Lahmer, 45.”The prisons are full and there is no more freedom of expression,” he added, demanding Saied’s departure and “new elections”.
