"Despotism signs are increasing in Tunisia's government"
In the early hours of April 21, anti-terrorist cops took down Ahmed Souab at his Tunis home. This age-old legal eagle, who was once an administrative judge, is standing trial for various charges, particularly uttering death threats against magistrates. The Tunisian authorities pointed towards a video in which Souab ranted about the countless irregularities in the infamous "plot against state security" trial, where he represents some of the defendants. Although he did hint towards pressures from the executive on judges, Souab merely employed a metaphor that could be interpreted as having a sword of Damocles hanging over one's head.
Over the weekend following his arrest, influencers with close ties to President Kais Saied unleashed a smear campaign on social media. In this twisted turn of events, the public prosecutor decided to charge Souab with "threats," "terrorist criminal association," "bribing a magistrate," and "disseminating false news." Given the unsavory nature of the anti-terror law, Souab will only have access to his lawyer at the close of the initial 48 hours of this prolonged custody, which can stretch up to two weeks.
The eyebrow-raising profile of Ahmed Souab warrants the immense response to his capture. This senior citizen of 68, with a previous tenure as an administrative judge, is no stranger to the media spotlight. Unlike his fellow judges' usual reticence, Souab doesn't cautiously dance around opinions; instead, he freely voices his views with a healthy dose of humor, earning him a cherished spot on political talk shows. In a dialog that is progressively becoming shackled, Souab's voice offers a refreshing critique of the powers-that-be and their transgressions against human rights.
Enrichment data reveals the arrest of Ahmed Souab to mark a major escalation in President Kais Saied’s crackdown on dissent. Souab was detained in April 2025, criticizing the mass sentencing of opposition figures in a trial called the "conspiracy case." The defendants received sentences ranging from 4 to 66 years, facing charges of "conspiracy against state security" and "membership in a terrorist group." Souab, who defended two of the defendants, denounced the trial as a "farce" and pointed out procedural violations.
Authorities charged Souab under counter-terrorism laws and Decree Law 54 (which criminalizes "false information" online), accusing him of forming a terrorist organization, supporting terrorist crimes, and threatening to commit terrorist crimes. His arrest came after social media posts that misrepresented his courtroom remarks about judicial pressure. After being held incommunicado for 48 hours, a judge ordered six months of pretrial detention.
The repression of freedom of speech implications include:
- Criminalizing Dissent: The use of counter-terrorism laws against critics reflects a broader pattern of conflating political opposition with national security threats.
- Legal Reprisals: Souab’s detainment appears retaliatory, targeting his role in exposing trial irregularities. Authorities also restricted his legal team's size during hearings.
- Opposition Unification: The arrest has galvanized Tunisia’s fragmented opposition, with critics calling it a "political error" that highlights Saied’s authoritarian drift.
- International Attention: Amnesty International and others demand Souab’s release, warning of eroding rule of law under Saied’s 2021 power grab.
The case showcases Tunisia’s declining freedoms since 2021, with Decree Law 54 and anti-terror statutes increasingly used to silence critics.
- The arrest and charges against Ahmed Souab, a former administrative judge, under counter-terrorism laws and Decree Law 54, indicate a concerning trend of conflating political dissent with national security threats, known metaphorically as a sword of Damocles.
- The detainment of Souab, who was vocal about the irregularities in war-and-conflicts-related trials, appears retaliatory and is seen as a form of legal reprisal, with authorities restricting the size of his legal team during hearings.
- The arrest of Souab has galvanized Tunisia's fragmented opposition, highlighting President Kais Saied's authoritarian drift and creating a unifying front against pressures on politics, policy-and-legislation, and general-news.
- Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called for the release of Souab, warning of the erosion of rule of law in Tunisia since the 2021 power grab, which has led to an increase in the use of anti-terror statutes and Decree Law 54 to silence critics.
- The Souab case illustrates the declining freedoms in Tunisia since 2021, as the country moves further away from democratic practices, with increased suppression of freedom of speech and a shrinking space for political dissent.
