Tunisians took to the streets in protest on Sunday, hours after President Kais Saied officially replaced a judicial watchdog and gave himself powers to sack judges, block their promotion and ban them from going on strike.
Hours after the decree was published early Sunday morning, more than 2,000 protesters gathered in central Tunis, many waving flags and chanting slogans in support of an independent judiciary.
"Freedom! Freedom! The police state is finished," some chanted.
The protest had been called for by the main opposition Ennahda, the largest party in Tunisia's suspended parliament.
Saied's decree came a week after he said he would dissolve the High Judicial Council (CSM), prompting a nationwide shutdown of courts by judges saying the move would infringe on judicial independence.
Sunday's ruling, establishing a new 21-member "Temporary Supreme Judicial Council" – nine of whom are appointed by the president – also gives him powers to dismiss "any judge failing to do his professional duties".
Moreover, "it is forbidden for judges of all ranks to go on strike or hold any organised collective action that could disturb or delay the normal working of the courts", it read.
🔴 It's official ! #Tunisia President dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and replaced it with a new temporary institution with a different composition We'll have to wait until Monday to read the decree he signed tonight. pic.twitter.com/oig0GZY6Ao
— Mohamed-Dhia Hammami - محمد ضياء الهمامي (@MedDhiaH) February 12, 2022
Ruling by decree
Last July Saied sacked the government, suspended parliament and seized a range of powers before moving to rule by decree, sparking fears for what had been seen as the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings.
Saied had long accused the CSM of blocking politically sensitive investigations and being influenced by his nemesis, the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party.
He has insisted he has no intention of interfering with the judiciary, but rights groups and world powers have criticised his move.
The International Commission of Jurists said Sunday that the decree "consolidates power in the hands of the President/executive and effectively ends any semblance of judicial independence" in Tunisia.
"It brings Tunisia back to its darkest days, when judges were transferred and dismissed on the basis of executive whim," the commission said.
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#EU HRVP @JosepBorrellF on #Tunisia:
— Tunisians Against The Coup (@TunisiaCoup) February 11, 2022
"There is a strong call for a return to democratic normality. We are certainly very concerned about these events and we are in the process of deciding to stop the disbursement of the tranches of macro-financial aid that were planned."@eu_eeas https://t.co/Dr9JmXnfUv
Saied has said he will uphold rights and freedoms won in the 2011 so-called Jasmine revolution that brought democracy and that he will put a new constitution to a referendum this summer, with new parliamentary elections to follow in December.
However, with Tunisia facing a rapidly looming crisis in public finances, the Western donors that have previously bailed it out have voiced deep concern at Saied's moves and have said any political process needs to be inclusive.
(with newswires)
