Tunisia arrests dozens of opposition members in pre-election crackdown

Ennahdha party calls mass arrests an ‘unprecedented campaign of raids and violations’ before October 6 poll.

At least 80 members of Tunisia’s largest opposition party Ennahdha have been arrested, party officials said, as thousands took to the streets to protest against President Kais Saied ahead of the presidential election.

As the campaign season formally begins on Saturday, opposition parties, politicians and human rights groups are accusing Saied’s administration of using “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation to secure his re-election in the October 6 poll.

Ennahdha – which was the largest party in parliament before Saied dissolved the chamber in July 2021 – had counted at least 80 arrests and was in the process of confirming at least 116 in total, including six women, Latifa Habbechi, a lawyer of the party said on Friday.

In a post on social media platform X, Yusra Ghannouchi, daughter of detained Ennahdha leader and co-founder Rached Ghannouchi, said more than 100 party members were arrested, including an activist in her 70s.

In a statement, Ennahdha called the arrests “an unprecedented campaign of raids and violations of the most basic rights guaranteed by law”.