Grievances of Tunisian Opposition Families

Family members of those believed to be wrongly imprisoned have taken their grievances to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Tanzania. The loved ones called for the immediate release of their imprisoned family members on May 24th, according to the Middle East Eye. 

Yusra Ghannouchi, the daughter of the now imprisoned leader of Tunisia’s main opposition party, Rached Ghannouchi, is among these individuals advocating for the freedom of her father and others.

READ: Ghannouchi arrest in Tunisia puts spotlight on Saied over “freedoms”

Yusra has been a vocal member of this group and was quoted as saying “We are here to seek justice for our parents and all those struggling to restore democracy in Tunisia…we hope the African court will make it clear that Kais Saied’s systematic trampling of the rights and freedoms of Tunisians cannot continue with impunity and that he and his accomplices will soon face the consequences of their violations.”

Demands for Saied to be held accountable for jailing opposition leaders under the guise of charges like money laundering and incitement, are not recent. Families of jailed opposition figures, like the daughter of opposition MP Said Ferjani, and Yusra, submitted a petition to the UK court to impose sanctions on Saied for his gross negligence of human rights in March. 

READ: Two more journalists targeted by Saied in Tunisia for their views

There has been international solidarity for political prisoners in Tunisia, as nearly 150 academics from 19 countries released a joint statement and voiced their concerns, saying “While opposition leaders make progress towards presenting a united, diverse and broad front for the restoration of democracy, they are facing a wide campaign of arbitrary arrests, politically motivated charges, demonization and threats.”