Suspensions, arrests, dissolutions: Tunisia intensifies its crackdown on NGOs

Suspensions, arrests, dissolutions: Tunisia intensifies its crackdown on NGOs Submitted by Matteo Garavoglia on Fri, 05/29/2026 - 10:18 Authorities are increasingly using judicial means to shut down civil society organisations in their assault on freedoms A Tunisian lawyer wearing a red armband as a sign of protest walks past the courthouse in Tunis on 19 May 2026, during a rally by lawyers against the president and the regression in freedoms (Fethi Belaid/AFP) Off In recent weeks, small gatherings have become an increasingly common sight outside Tunis ’s Court of First Instance. Some demonstrators call for the protection of freedoms in the country, while others are protesting against administrative suspensions they consider unjust. All point to a shrinking civic space that many activists and observers fear is becoming permanent.