Tunisia arrests top opposition leader Nejib Chebbi in widening crackdown

Tunisian police arrested prominent opposition leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi on Thursday, December 4, 2025, escalating a crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied. Chebbi's arrest follows his recent 12-year sentence for allegedly plotting against the state, a trial widely condemned as politically motivated. As cofounder of the National Salvation Front, Chebbi is a vocal critic of Saied's 2021 power grab and the subsequent rollback of freedoms. His arrest is part of a larger wave of detentions targeting opposition figures, lawyers, and rights advocates, including Ayachi Hammami and Chaima Issa, who also received lengthy prison sentences in the "conspiracy case." These actions have drawn criticism from human rights groups concerned about Tunisia's democratic backsliding.

Tunisian police arrested Ayachi Hammami, a prominent opposition figure and human rights lawyer, on Tuesday. This arrest follows an appeals court sentencing him to five years in prison last week for alleged terrorism and conspiracy against state security. Hammami's sentencing is part of a broader case involving around 40 individuals, including opposition leaders, lawyers, and journalists, who were initially convicted in April. Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have condemned the charges as baseless and politically motivated, citing a backsliding towards authoritarianism under President Kais Saied. Hammami has denounced his imprisonment as a political decision and announced a hunger strike in protest. Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, has been witnessing an increasing crackdown on dissent under Saied's rule.

In Tunisia, police arrested opposition figure Ayachi Hammami at his home on December 2, 2025, to enforce a five-year prison sentence. This follows an appeals court upholding convictions against numerous opposition members, business figures, and lawyers on charges of conspiring against state security. Hammami, a former human rights minister, maintains his innocence and plans a hunger strike. His arrest follows that of Chaima Issa, who was detained last week. The prosecution targets around 40 individuals accused of attempting to destabilize the country and overthrow President Kais Saied. Opposition members claim the charges are fabricated and designed to suppress dissent amid growing authoritarianism. Najib Chebbi, head of the main opposition coalition, is also expected to be arrested to serve a 12-year sentence.

Tunisian police arrested opposition figure Chaima Issa at a protest in Tunis on Saturday, according to lawyers. The arrest came after an appeals court handed jail terms of up to 45 years to opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers on charges of conspiracy to overthrow President Kais Saied. Issa received a 20-year sentence during the trial, while Najib Chebbi, head of the National Salvation Front, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Ayachi Hammami received a five-year sentence. Human Rights Watch described the trial as "political, unfair, and without evidence" against the defendants. The US-based rights group condemned the use of the judiciary to eliminate Saied's opponents. Issa had told Reuters moments before her arrest that she would be arrested shortly, stating "I say to the Tunisians, continue to protest and reject tyranny."