Tunisian MP Arrested for Mocking President Kais Saied

By Al Mayadeen English

Tunisian MP Ahmed Saidani has been arrested after mocking President Kais Saied online, in what observers say is part of a growing crackdown on dissent.  

Tunisian police have arrested Member of Parliament Ahmed Saidani after he publicly mocked President Kais Saied, two parliamentary sources told Al Mayadeen.

The arrest reportedly took place on Wednesday, and is being seen by opposition figures and rights groups as part of an escalating campaign against critics of the Tunisian president.

Saidani criticized president online

According to the sources, Saidani had posted a sarcastic comment on Facebook on Tuesday, referring to President Saied as the “supreme commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage,” mocking his performance in office.

Saidani is widely known for his outspoken criticism of Saied, particularly regarding the president’s failure to deliver on promised reforms or national achievements.

Broader context of judicial crackdowns

The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on opposition voices and dissidents. In January, a Tunisian appeals court upheld a 22-year prison sentence against Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahda movement and former parliament speaker, in what is known as the “Installingo” case.

Tunisian authorities have faced growing criticism for what rights groups describe as the weaponization of the judiciary to silence political opposition and intimidate public figures.

Since seizing sweeping powers in 2021, President Saied has faced criticism for rolling back freedoms and prosecuting dozens of critics, often under terrorism-related charges or a 2022 law criminalizing the "spreading of false news."

Last week, the European Parliament voted to call on Tunisia to free all individuals who have been detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including political prisoners and human rights defenders, a move that was strongly condemned by President Kais Saied, who described the resolution as blatant interference and stated that the European Union could learn lessons from Tunisia on rights and freedoms.

Tunisia's face-off with autocracy

In the lead‑up to the October 2024 presidential election, the Tunisian authorities undertook a sweeping campaign to neutralize political challengers. More than a hundred members or supporters of the opposition Ennahda party were arrested under counter‑terrorism laws, including approved presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, who was later sentenced to long prison terms. Judicial and electoral institutions were restructured to put them under executive control; for example, the electoral commission was re‑shaped in 2022 to be more directly linked to the presidency.

Once his 2021 power grab, in which he suspended parliament, assumed decree powers, and dissolved the judiciary‑oversight body, was firmly in place, Saied moved to suppress dissent systematically. In 2022, he dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges, raising concerns over judicial independence.

By 2025, mass trials were underway: opposition figures, lawyers, businesspeople, and media professionals were being convicted of “conspiracy against state security” or terrorism‑related charges, with some sentences stretching as high as 66 years. A prominent trial that began in March 2025 targeted 40 individuals, resulting in the conviction of 37 defendants in April, with prison terms ranging from 4 to 74 years.

At the same time, the civil society space in Tunisia was under heavy assault. Authorities froze the assets of non‑governmental organizations, suspended operations of at least 14 such groups in 2025 alone, and used foreign‑funding legislation as a pretext to shut down independent watchdogs. Critics argue that the pressure on civil society aims to eliminate independent oversight and limit international scrutiny.

Saied and his supporters maintain that their campaign is focused on “purging the country of traitors and corruption.” However, human rights organizations, opposition parties, and international observers increasingly view the legal tools and judiciary as being weaponized against dissent, entrenching one-man rule and weakening democratic safeguards.