Tunisia Orders Suspension of Prominent Migrant Rights Group
Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights faces financial audit suspension amid growing restrictions on civil society.
Tunisia has ordered the suspension of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), a prominent organization advocating for migrant rights and civil liberties, for a month.
The FTDES claims that the government's stated reason for this suspension—a financial audit related to foreign funding—is merely a pretext to silence independent voices within civil society.
According to Ramadhan Ben Omar of the FTDES, the authorities have informed the group that the suspension is necessary for an audit of their foreign funding.
However, Ben Omar asserts that the real intention behind such actions is to suppress all independent civic organizations.
The government has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.
This suspension follows a similar measure against the Democratic Women group, which focuses on women's rights and democracy, who was also suspended last week.
Sources suggest that several other organizations are facing similar suspensions due to their receipt of foreign funding, although these decisions have not been officially announced.
The FTDES has been vocal in its criticism of President Kais Saied’s claims regarding African migrants, which the organization labels as racist.
This stance places them at odds with the government's narrative and positions them among the first organizations to openly challenge such assertions.
This development comes amidst a broader pattern of restrictions imposed on civil society activists since 2021, when President Saied assumed extensive powers and began ruling by decree.
At least 12 prominent activists are currently incarcerated, facing charges related to their work.
Furthermore, leading civic groups accuse the government of freezing their bank accounts over allegations of receiving foreign funding.
These actions highlight a concerning trend of increasing restrictions on civil society organizations in Tunisia, which has raised concerns both domestically and internationally.
The FTDES claims that the government's stated reason for this suspension—a financial audit related to foreign funding—is merely a pretext to silence independent voices within civil society.
According to Ramadhan Ben Omar of the FTDES, the authorities have informed the group that the suspension is necessary for an audit of their foreign funding.
However, Ben Omar asserts that the real intention behind such actions is to suppress all independent civic organizations.
The government has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.
This suspension follows a similar measure against the Democratic Women group, which focuses on women's rights and democracy, who was also suspended last week.
Sources suggest that several other organizations are facing similar suspensions due to their receipt of foreign funding, although these decisions have not been officially announced.
The FTDES has been vocal in its criticism of President Kais Saied’s claims regarding African migrants, which the organization labels as racist.
This stance places them at odds with the government's narrative and positions them among the first organizations to openly challenge such assertions.
This development comes amidst a broader pattern of restrictions imposed on civil society activists since 2021, when President Saied assumed extensive powers and began ruling by decree.
At least 12 prominent activists are currently incarcerated, facing charges related to their work.
Furthermore, leading civic groups accuse the government of freezing their bank accounts over allegations of receiving foreign funding.
These actions highlight a concerning trend of increasing restrictions on civil society organizations in Tunisia, which has raised concerns both domestically and internationally.
