Tunisians protest against Saied, call country ‘open-air prison'
Under the slogan 'The Republic is a large prison,' protesters marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue. They demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, journalists, and activists.
The protest marked the fourth anniversary of Saied's power grab. In 2021, he dissolved the elected parliament and started ruling by decree, a move the opposition called a coup.
They chanted slogans such as 'no fear, no terror ... streets belong to the people' and 'The people want the fall of the regime'.
The protesters said Tunisia under Saied has descended into authoritarianism, with mass arrests and politically motivated trials silencing dissent.
"Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees," Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told Reuters.
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