Latest news with #TunisianGeneralLabourUnion
TimesLIVE
21-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Once a beacon of hope, Tunisia's civil society struggles to survive
In May 2024 Tunisian activist Cherifa Riahi was arrested two months after giving birth, accused of harbouring illegal migrants. More than a year later she is still in prison without charge. Rights groups see Riahi's case as a symbol of accelerating repression of civil society under President Kais Saied, who dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree. The crackdown marks a turnaround for Tunisia, where civil society groups flourished in the wake of the 2011 uprising that unseated President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, inspired other Arab Spring uprisings and helped shape a democratic transition. As head of a refugee support group, Riahi had been helping sub-Saharan asylum seekers and other migrants find housing and access medicine and food. Her family say she did nothing wrong. The forced separation from her daughter and young son has been traumatic. 'The girl doesn't recognise her mother,' Riahi's mother Farida, who is now caring for her grandchild, told Reuters at their family home in La Marsa near the capital, Tunis. 'They took her while she was breastfeeding. We didn't even have time to understand what was happening.' Since Saied's power grab, at least a dozen civil society figures such as Riahi have been detained on allegations activists denounce as fabricated, according to rights groups and lawyers. At least 10 civil society groups have had their assets frozen and offices raided, they say. The Tunisian General Labour Union, which won the 2015 Nobel peace prize with other civil society groups and could once bring tens of thousands onto the streets, has been sapped by the arrests of junior officials on corruption charges. The Tunisian government's media office did not respond to calls and written questions seeking comment about Riahi's case and those of other activists and civil society groups. Saied, 67, has accused civil society groups of 'serving foreign agendas' and undermining national unity. He has said he will not be a dictator and freedom and democracy will be preserved, but he will not allow chaos or interference through foreign funding or organisations that represent a 'tool of treason'. Activists warn some of Tunisia's last surviving democratic gains are at risk as the judiciary, media and parliament have all come under tighter executive control and most opposition party leaders are in prison. 'The attack on civil society organisations is not an isolated incident,' said Romdhane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, an independent advocacy group. 'It comes in the context of the authorities' plan to close civic space and to end the democratic openness achieved by Tunisians after January 14 2011.' In Tunis, the offices of I Watch, an anti-corruption watchdog founded after the 2011 revolution, used to bustle with dozens of employees, volunteers and journalists. These days only three employees work on-site. Dozens work remotely, some fearing raids or arrests. Wajdi Belloumi, I Watch's president, said its bank transfers have been hindered and official investigations into the group are piling up. Hotels have stopped renting spaces for the group's events, citing vague instructions from authorities, Belloumi said. Last year the electoral commission refused for the first time to allow I Watch to monitor elections due to suspicions of foreign funding. 'We're seen as enemies now,' Belloumi told Reuters. 'Many volunteers are afraid. Whistle-blowers have gone quiet. The pressure is everywhere — legal, financial, even personal.' Ben Amor said he had received anonymous threats and started looking over his shoulder in public spaces. 'People start saying, 'This man must be got rid of',' he said, referring to comments sent in private messages, or "'your son studies at that school, your daughter studies at that school, I saw you on that street''. Foreign governments that once championed Tunisia's democratic transition now prioritise curbing migration and short-term stability, rights groups say. Ben Amor said he believed he had been targeted particularly after speaking out against Saied's recent anti-migrant rhetoric. In 2023, the same year Tunisia signed a pact with the EU aimed at stemming migration across the Mediterranean, Saied said illegal immigration was part of a 'conspiracy' to alter Tunisia's demographics. Since then, authorities have dismantled tents and carried out forced deportations — the campaign amid which Riahi was detained. Though the space for civil society groups is shrinking by the day, Belloumi said he remains committed. 'We chose this path — transparency, justice, accountability — and we're not walking away.'
The Star
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Once a beacon of hope, Tunisia's civil society struggles to survive
TUNIS (Reuters) -In May 2024, Tunisian activist Cherifa Riahi was arrested just two months after giving birth, accused of harbouring illegal migrants. Over a year later, she is still in prison without charge. Rights groups see Riahi's case as a symbol of accelerating repression of civil society under President Kais Saied, who dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree. The crackdown marks a significant turnaround for Tunisia, where civil society groups flourished in the wake of the 2011 uprising that unseated President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, inspired other Arab Spring uprisings, and helped shape a democratic transition. As head of a refugee support group, Riahi had been helping sub-Saharan asylum seekers and other migrants find housing and access medicine and food. Her family says she did nothing wrong. The forced separation from her daughter and young son has been traumatic. "The girl doesn't recognise her mother at all," Riahi's mother Farida, who is now caring for her grandchild, told Reuters at their family home in La Marsa near the capital, Tunis. "They took her while she was breastfeeding. We didn't even have time to understand what was happening." Since Saied's power grab, at least a dozen civil society figures like Riahi have been detained on allegations activists denounce as fabricated, according to rights groups and lawyers. At least 10 civil society groups have had their assets frozen and offices raided, they say. The Tunisian General Labour Union, which won the 2015 Nobel peace prize with other civil society groups and could once bring tens of thousands onto the streets, has been sapped by the arrests of junior officials on corruption charges. The Tunisian government's media office did not respond to calls and written questions seeking comment about Riahi's case and those of other activists and civil society groups. Saied, 67, has accused civil society groups of "serving foreign agendas" and undermining national unity. He has said he will not be a dictator and that freedom and democracy will be preserved, but that he will not allow chaos or interference through foreign funding or organisations that represent a "tool of treason." Activists warn that some of Tunisia's last surviving democratic gains are at risk as the judiciary, media and parliament have all come under tighter executive control and most opposition party leaders are in prison. "The attack on civil society organisations is not an isolated incident," said Romdhane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, an independent advocacy group. "It comes within the context of the authorities' plan to close civic space and to end the democratic openness achieved by Tunisians after January 14, 2011." 'SEEN AS ENEMIES' In Tunis, the offices of I Watch, an anti-corruption watchdog founded after the 2011 revolution, used to bustle with dozens of employees, volunteers and journalists. These days, only three employees work on-site. Dozens work remotely, some fearing raids or arrests. Wajdi Belloumi, I Watch's president, said its bank transfers have been hindered and official investigations into the group are piling up. Hotels have stopped renting spaces for the group's events, citing vague instructions from authorities, Belloumi said. Last year, the electoral commission refused for the first time to allow I Watch to monitor elections due to suspicions of foreign funding. "We're seen as enemies now," Belloumi told Reuters. "Many volunteers are afraid. Whistle-blowers have gone quiet. The pressure is everywhere — legal, financial, even personal." Ben Amor said he had received anonymous threats and started looking over his shoulder in public spaces. "People start saying, 'This man must be gotten rid of'," he said, referring to comments sent in private messages, or "'your son studies at that school, your daughter studies at that school ... I saw you on that street'". Foreign governments that once championed Tunisia's democratic transition now prioritise curbing migration and short-term stability, rights groups say. Ben Amor said he believed he had been targeted particularly after speaking out against Saied's recent anti-migrant rhetoric. In 2023, the same year Tunisia signed a pact with the European Union aimed at stemming migration across the Mediterranean, Saied said illegal immigration was part of a "conspiracy" to alter Tunisia's demographics. Since then, authorities have dismantled tents and carried out forced deportations -- the campaign amid which Riahi was detained. Though the space for civil society groups is shrinking by the day, Belloumi said he remains committed. "We chose this path -- transparency, justice, accountability," he said. "And we're not walking away." (Reporting by Tarek Amara, Editing by Alexandre Dziadosz and Aidan Lewis)
Al Jazeera
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United Kingdom. The convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the crossing. Palestine supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Jazeera. Since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Explainer: What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
Al Jazeera
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Explainer: What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United Kingdom. The convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the crossing. Palestine supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Jazeera. Since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
