A Tunisian court has ordered one of the country’s most prominent human rights organizations to halt its activities for one month, its spokesperson said.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights — known by its French acronym FTDES — is the latest organization to come under pressure in Tunisia, where a once-vibrant post–Arab Spring civil society has steadily eroded throughout President Kais Saied ’s tenure.
The order came just days after a similar suspension was handed down to the prominent feminist organization, the Tunisian Association for Democratic Women, or ATFD.
Romdhan Ben Amor, FTDES spokesperson, told The Associated Press on Monday that he considered the move an attempt to deflect attention from major national issues, particularly environmental protests convulsing the city of Gabes. Targeting human rights groups like FTDES, he said, was “another conspiracy theory ... that aims to stigmatize individual and social rights and freedom defenders.”
He said he believed the group was targeted for its stances on two issues: the migration crisis and politicians and opposition figures tried in Tunisia's high-profile “conspiracy against state security” cases. Ben Amor maintained that the FTDES has always adhered to financial transparency laws.
FTDES plans to appeal the suspension, he added.
The one-month suspension order against FTDES and ATFD is the latest in a series of measures critics say are aimed at curbing the work and independence of civil society organizations since Saied’s 2021 consolidation of all branches of power.
As president, he has often cited foreign funding as a threat to Tunisia, using it to fuel a populist narrative and accuse his political opponents and social justice activists of being foreign agents and stirring unrest at home.
FTDES is among dozens more nongovernmental organizations that have been struck by continuous financial and tax audits in the past few months. Authorities have repeatedly accused them of serving foreign interests and receiving foreign funds to enable more meddling in the country’s domestic affairs.
