On January 18, 2025, hundreds gathered in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, to call for the release of Abir Moussi, a prominent opposition leader detained since October 2023. The demonstrators, as reported by AFP journalists, chanted slogans such as 'freedom for Abir' and reaffirmed their stance as political opponents rather than traitors.

Abir Moussi, aged 49, leads the Free Destourian Party.

This political group has been critical of President Kais Saied, who was initially elected in 2019. Moussi's arrest occurred as she attempted to file appeals against several presidential decrees at the presidential palace.

Her party claims the charges against her, which include 'seeking to change the form of the state,' are politically motivated.

President Saied initiated a significant power consolidation strategy in 2021, which led to him governing by decree.

His re-election in October 2024 saw a decisive victory, with many of his main opponents facing legal challenges or imprisonment.

In November 2024, Moussi was sentenced to 16 months in prison under charges of spreading 'false news,' linked to her criticism of the electoral authority.

Thameur Saad, a leading figure in the Free Destourian Party, expressed concern over her conviction, suggesting that it undermines Tunisia's democratic image.

The protest in Tunis underscores the ongoing political tensions and calls for greater freedoms amidst Saied's administration.