The combat waged by Ultras groups in stadiums has infused social movements with a new dynamic. By challenging the government’s policies from up in the stands but also expanding their mobilization beyond, these groups have come to stand at the forefront of the struggle for civil liberties.
Alarming accounts of the systematic humiliation faced by LGBTQI+ persons in prison expose the harsh reality that this community endures in Tunisia. An image very far from that which the government would hope to sell to its partners in the West.
Hard-won by civil society in the momentum of the 2011 revolution, associative radio stations once carried the hope of a free and pluralistic media landscape. Riding on early enthusiasm and supported by NGOs and international funders, they promised to play a key role in the country’s democratic transition. Little by little, however, this hope has eroded, giving way to growing disillusionment. Today, associative radios are marginalized, left to their own devices, and struggling to survive.
Hungry, mistreated and lacking medical care, prisoners in Tunisia find themselves facing a double sentence: incarceration and—more insidious—the violence that it entails. A shocking report warns against the conditions endured by inmates inside Tunisian prisons.
The structural dysfunction that has paralyzed Tunisia’s judiciary institution explains how the government has subjugated the justice system and weakened the role of magistrates.
The government has lost its patience for media outlets that dare to challenge its narratives on issues of major concern for Tunisians. And so it has set out against those which symbolize the struggle for freedom and truth.
Could the release of certain prisoners of conscience promise a new phase in which the regime decides to let up on its policy of repression? Nothing is less certain. Paranoia around the case involving those accused of “plotting to undermine national security”—a trial which opened with a remote hearing and which authorities have attempted to bury under an imposed media blackout—does not bode well.
Never before has Tunisia’s Parliament shown such allegiance to the regime in power. The Assembly of the Representatives of the People has been reduced to serving as the presidency’s relay, as Kais Saied seizes the opportunity to tighten the executive authority’s grip on Parliament.
The debilitating crisis suffered by the central bureau of Tunisia’s primary labor union is far from over. Internal divisions have become impossible to ignore. And the government, eager as it is to dissolve any intermediary bodies in its way, is not displeased.
Terrorized by wildfires and abandoned by the government, the women who inhabit Tunisia’s mountains and forests have not lost heart. Indeed, they are taking action—with joy and dedication—to rejuvenate the forests which are their entire world.
The women who use injectable drugs in Tunisia number in the thousands. Victims of violence, they turn to sex work where they are exposed to HIV infection. And yet they are ignored, rendered invisible by the Tunisian government and feminists alike, as one activist explains to Nawaat.
Over the past several weeks, the prison sentences received by certain “influencers” have been at the center of debate in Tunisia. But beyond these cases which have drawn a great deal of attention in the media, Tunisia’s entire justice system—and in particular its policy of normalizing incarceration—is called into question.
Praised for its “feats” by Italy’s extreme right, the immigration policy implemented by President Kais Saied builds off a strategy whose objectives are twofold. Here is how the government has succeeded in killing two birds with one stone.
Kais Saied was reelected as Tunisia’s president in the first round of elections. His Soviet-like score of 90.69% must not obscure record voter abstention rates: more than 7 out of 10 Tunisians—and more than 94% of Tunisian youth—did not turn out to vote. While there is no evidence that massive fraud took place on election day, the entire electoral process was marked by repressive tactics aiming to cement Saied’s second term in office. Recap of the past election year and the crackdown which ensured the outgoing president’s victory at the polls.
The UGTT has deserted the street, and its once vociferous leaders are opting for discretion. According to a high official within the organization, the return to restricted freedoms and pressure on political parties, organizations and associations are signs of real danger.
With a generation of young fathers more involved in raising their children, is Tunisia’s father figure being redefined? The answer is not clear. While the concept of “head of household” may be changing, equality between parents remains a (very) long way off.
For a long time, La Goulette seemed to be a symbol of diversity and co-existence. Some recall with nostalgia bohemian beach-goers and the intermingling of communities. But such postcard images reflect the past. Today, different populations have entered onto the scene, and the picture is one tainted by poverty.
A mecca of used books, Dabaghine street has seen its flow of foot traffic subside over the years. Passers-by seem more interested in rolls of fabric and fricassé than books, as vendors look on, hoping to resist the zeitgeist.
