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”.

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Gaaloul, a member of the party’s executive committee, said the arrests included high-ranking party officials.

The mass arrests are the latest to mar an already turbulent election season in Tunisia, which Saied rules by decree.

Earlier this month, police arrested prominent opposition politician Ayachi Zammel as he was confirmed as one of just two challengers to Saied in the polls.

Zammel is accused of falsifying voter signatures on his paperwork, but his lawyers say the case is meant to force him out of the race.

In August, the electoral commission eliminated three prominent candidates from the race, citing alleged irregularities in their candidacy filings.

The court in charge of election disputes ordered the commission to reinstate them on September 2, but the commission rejected the ruling.

Critics say Saied is using the commission, whose members he appointed, to secure his victory by intimidating candidates. The president denies the accusations, saying he is fighting traitors, mercenaries and the corrupt.

The latest arrests on Friday came as thousands of people protested in the capital, Tunis, decrying the emergence of what they called a police state.

The protesters chanted slogans including, “Out with dictator Saied” and “No fear, no terror, streets belong to the people”.

The protesters also demanded the release of Zammel and all political prisoners, activists and journalists detained for criticising Saied.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies