Tunisia’s Crackdown on NGOs: Activists Face Prison, Groups Shut Down

(Beirut) – Tunisia’s government has systematically dismantled civil society since 2024, silencing the independent groups that rose after the 2011 revolution, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The crackdown uses abusive prosecutions, mass suspensions, and financial probes to shut down organizations. At least 47 people linked to NGOs have been prosecuted, with 14 convicted and sentenced to prison. **Key Findings:** - At least 20 associations have been suspended since 2025. - A prominent rights defender, Saadia Mosbah, was sentenced to eight years in prison in March 2026. - Authorities arrested aid workers and anti-racism activists between May and December 2024. “Civil society groups hold power to account and deliver vital services,” said Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities are abusing every tool to close this space.” **Targeted Groups** The government has used counterterrorism and immigration laws to charge workers at refugee aid groups. Five employees of asylum organizations have been convicted for their legitimate work. Targeted associations have since stopped operating. Authorities have also frozen bank accounts and launched tax investigations against groups like Amnesty International’s regional office and anti-corruption watchdog I Watch. **Suspensions Without Due Process** Between 2025 and 2026, the government suspended associations using Decree-Law 2011-88. Many groups received no formal warnings, and appeals from roughly 30 associations have been dismissed. Two groups—Al Khatt and Mnemty—now face dissolution. The judiciary, which orders these suspensions, has been under presidential control since 2022. **Calls for Action** Human Rights Watch urged Tunisian authorities to release all arbitrarily detained NGO workers and overturn unjust convictions. The group also called on the European Union to pressure Tunisia publicly and privately. “By dismantling civil society, the authorities want no one left to hold them accountable,” Khawaja said. “The international community must act now to stop this backsliding.” Tunisia is bound by international treaties guaranteeing freedom of association and fair trials. The report, titled “‘We Are Living on Borrowed Time’: Repression of Civil Society in Tunisia,” documents the full scope of the repression.