Tunisian President Kais Saied has suspended yet another human rights organization—the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LTDH)—for one month as part of a broader crackdown on civil society and independent institutions in the country, citing international interference and suspicious funds. This move targets one of Tunisia’s most important peacebuilding institutions, showing a deeper collapse of democratic safeguards. LTDH is one of several human rights organizations that the Tunisian government has suspended over the past year. This is part of a wider trend of increasing pressure on independent voices in Tunisia.

Human rights advocates and civil society organizations have strongly condemned the suspension. The president of LTDH, Bassem Trifi, responded by stating, “We oppose this decision and we will lodge an appeal. We will continue our struggle for rights and freedoms.” NOVACT, a peacebuilding nonprofit with an office in Tunis, emphasized that “it’s not an isolated move. It comes in a context of growing pressure on civil society and on those working to defend civic space and freedoms.” LTDH has stated its compliance with the order but described the suspension as “an arbitrary and dangerous measure that constitutes a flagrant violation of freedom of association and assembly.” Mohamed Yassine Jlassi, a former president of the Tunisian journalists’ union, spoke to the Associated Press regarding the increased attacks on civil society. Jlassi asserted that “repression has come to affect everyone. Journalism has become a crime, civil society work has become a crime, political opposition has been criminalized.” Several international organizations have echoed these concerns, calling on Tunisian authorities to rescind the order. 

Targeting civil society harms peacemaking efforts by taking away some of the most important actors for peacebuilding. These actors include activists, journalists, community leaders, and individuals who monitor human rights, help build trust, and provide the social infrastructure necessary for resolving conflicts. Without them, who will speak up when those in positions of power abuse their authority? LTDH was created to monitor and defend human rights in Tunisia, and was a member of the National Dialogue Quartet, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its democratization efforts after the Arab Spring. Dismantling groups that previously prevented conflict makes future instability more likely, especially in the current political context of Tunisia. President Saied is using “foreign interference” to justify repression, but weakening civil society increases the risk of instability rather than strengthening security. Moving forward, safeguarding civil society will be necessary to maintain the institutions that support peaceful conflict resolution and accountability.

After the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, Tunisia emerged the only beacon of democracy in the region. President Saied, who was elected in 2019, closed parliament in 2021, dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council soon after, and has since continued to take steps to limit opposition. In 2022, Saied passed an executive decree giving five-year sentences to anyone accused of spreading “false information.” This law has allowed Saied’s government to target journalists, lawyers, activists, and political opponents. Critics of the government have already been detained under these laws, including the recent case of journalist Zied El-Heni, who was placed in 48-hour detention over a Facebook post. President Saied was re-elected in 2024 with over 90 percent of the vote, and just under 29 percent voter turnout. While these changes have been driven by President Saied, they have also been shaped by ongoing political instability and economic challenges. These challenges have created conditions in which increased government control can be more easily justified. Suspending a Nobel Prize-linked organization shows how far Tunisia has shifted.

Tunisia is losing its “democratic exception” status in the region. President Saied’s targeted weakening of civil society will lead to fewer nonviolent conflict-resolution channels, and increased repression is already leading to unrest and protests across the country. Moving forward, maintaining space for accountability and peaceful dialogue will be important for Tunisia’s stability.