Tunisia Sees Major Protests over Political Repression and Economic Crisis
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
October 22, 2026
HRRC expresses concern over the reported deprivation of fundamental rights and judicial independence in Tunisia. We urge the authorities in Tunisia to uphold the human rights of peaceful protesters and freedom of expression and ensure due process for all political detainees.
![A crowd gathered in Tunis, Tunisia during a demonstration [Image credit: AdoniaVIP/Pexels]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f05ed1_521f8460db5242ba837016c355522fb6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/f05ed1_521f8460db5242ba837016c355522fb6~mv2.jpg)
Thousands of Tunisians walked through the capital of Tunis on October 17, 2026, in one of the largest demonstrations against President Kais Saied in years. Protests against his rule are a frequent occurrence, including the protests held this year in August. Protesters demanded the restoration of democratic freedoms, the release of political prisoners, and a solution to the economic crisis.
The powerful Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) led the protest. It brought together people from all sectors, including opposition parties, human rights organizations, lawyers, journalists, doctors and unemployed citizens in a rare display of unity. Protestors marched from Mohamed Ali Square to Habib Bourguiba Avenue under the slogan “Tunisia First… The People Above All Else”.
These protests were held due to the mounting socioeconomic grievances, including unemployment, healthcare challenges, rising living costs, and continuous water and electricity shortages.
Protestors also condemned restrictions on freedom of expression, judicial independence, trade unions' rights, and the prosecution and imprisonment of journalists, activists, and political opponents. They carried portraits of imprisoned journalist Mourad Zghidi, chanting the revolutionary slogan, “The people want the fall of the regime”.
The vice president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, Jamaleddine Sebaa, described the situation as a “suffocating crisis”. He warned that Tunisians are deprived of almost all of their rights and the state has failed to protect its citizens.
The current President Saied consolidated presidential power in 2021 by suspending and dissolving Parliament. Since then, he has ruled by decree and controlled the judiciary. In 2022, he further expanded his presidential powers through the Constitution. Human rights organizations accuse his administration of undermining democratic institutions and suppressing dissent. However, Saied has denied these accusations, maintaining that the measures he took were necessary to combat corruption and state protection.
Glossary
Accusations – a statement saying that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind, or the act of accusing someone.
Combat – to try to stop something unpleasant or harmful from happening or increasing.
Constitution – the set of political principles by which a state or organization is governed, especially in relation to the rights of the people it governs.
Corruption – illegal, bad, or dishonest behaviour, especially by people in positions of power.
Demonstrations – an occasion when a group of people march or stand together to show that they disagree with or support something or someone.
Deprived – the act of showing someone how to do something, or how something works.
Due Process – a citizen's fair treatment within the rules of a government's legal system.
Fundamental – being the most basic or most important thing on which other things depend.
Marched – an event in which a large number of people walk through a public place to express their support for something, or their disagreement with or disapproval of something.
Imprisoned – to put someone in prison.
Parliament – in some countries, the group of (usually) elected politicians or other people who make the laws for their country.
Political prisoners – someone who is put in prison for expressing disapproval of their own government, or for belonging to an organization, race, or social group not approved of by that government.
Prosecution – the act of officially accusing someone of committing an illegal act, esp. by bringing a case against that person in a court of law.
Rare – not common or frequent; very unusual.
Suffocating – preventing something or someone from improving or developing in a positive way.
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