Refusal of the Independent Superior Electoral Body (ISIE) to apply the enforceable decision of the Administrative Court and arbitrary arrest of a candidate - Another dictatorial drift by Kaïs Saied's regime

The Comité pour le Respect des Libertés et des Droits de l'Homme en Tunisie (CRLDHT) expresses its deep indignation at the recent events which, once again, jeopardize the separation of powers and the foundations of democracy in Tunisia.

On September 2, 2024, the Independent Superior Electoral Body (ISIE) took the arbitrary decision to exclude from the upcoming presidential elections on October 6, 2024 three candidates reinstated by an enforceable court decision.

By submitting to the diktat of the executive, the ISIE has clearly demonstrated its lack of independence and bias.

The exclusion of Abdellatif Mekki, Mondher Zenaïdi and Imed Daïmi, candidates perceived as serious competitors to the incumbent president, is part of a strategy aimed at favoring the election of Kaïs Saïed. This maneuver erodes any hope of a fair ballot and free, transparent and credible elections. This blatant manipulation of the electoral process, combined with the repression of freedoms and arbitrary arrests on political grounds and for critical opinion, confirms the contempt for the rule of law and the separation of powers shown by the Head of State and his allies, including the President of the ISIE.

This return to authoritarian practices is sadly reminiscent of the days of the Ben Ali dictatorship, when elections were controlled by the Ministry of the Interior.

We are witnessing an alarming regression in the freedoms and democratic gains won in the wake of the 2011 revolution. The current executive is stifling freedoms, imprisoning opponents, artists, journalists and anyone tempted to dissent, and flouting the rule of law and the fundamental principles of a democratic regime.

What's more, no election observation association has been accredited, even though these organizations have proven their importance in the electoral process. Organizations such as ATIDE, Mourakiboun, Bawsala and I Watch play an essential role in ensuring the transparency of elections. The absence of their participation reinforces the opacity of the electoral process, fuelling doubts about the sincerity and credibility of the results.

This lack of independent control accentuates fears of electoral manipulation and deprives the process of all transparency and legitimacy.

Democracy in Tunisia calls on us all to defend it with determination against this attempt to return to authoritarianism, so that we can live serenely and freely with our differences of opinion on public affairs and the policies to be pursued.

The CRLDHT also strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of Ayachi Zammel, former MP, businessman and presidential candidate, who was arrested on September 2, 2024 on trumped-up charges of "falsifying sponsorships". This arrest comes on the heels of a series of crackdowns targeting at least eight candidates for the supreme magistracy, convicted or imprisoned since mid-July. Ayachi Zammel's arrest appears to be a deliberate attempt to prevent his participation in the presidential election, thereby reinforcing Kaïs Saïed's authoritarian control over the electoral process.

In an interview given to the newspaper Al Charaâ Al Magharibi prior to his arrest, Ayachi Zammel had declared that he had expected and prepared for such an arrest. He also expressed his intention to adopt a new constitution and dissolve the authorities set up by Kaïs Saïed's regime in the event of victory.

The CRLDHT fully supports the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) in its denunciation of the August 31, 2024 attack on its premises and its deputy general secretary, Samir Cheffi. This incident, perpetrated by a group of individuals belonging to a parallel organization, illustrates a worrying escalation of violence directed against trade unions. This attack, described as "cowardly" by the UGTT, is reminiscent of the brutal methods used by the Leagues for the Protection of the Revolution in 2012 and constitutes a direct threat to trade union freedom in Tunisia.

The CRLDHT calls on the international community and all the forces of Tunisian civil society to mobilize to denounce these serious attacks on human rights and democracy, and to defend the people's right to choose their future. We demand the immediate release of Ayachi Zammel and all political prisoners of conscience, the reinstatement of excluded candidates in accordance with the decision of the Administrative Court, and the protection of the rights of trade unionists and their organizations. Tunisia deserves transparent and fair elections, not an electoral masquerade orchestrated by an increasingly authoritarian regime.

Tunisians cannot remain silent in the face of this rise in authoritarianism. The voice of the people and justice must prevail over the personal ambitions of a man who clearly stops at nothing to consolidate his power.

The CRLDHT remains vigilant and determined to defend the rights and freedoms of all Tunisians in the face of this new era of repression.