Demonstrators gathered in central Tunis under the slogan “The people are hungry and prisons are full,” calling for an end to what they described as one-man rule and denouncing arrests targeting politicians, journalists and civil society figures.

Protesters said authorities were using the judiciary and security apparatus to suppress dissent while economic conditions continued to deteriorate. Tunisia has faced sluggish economic growth, rising consumer prices, shortages of medicines and some food products, financing constraints and mounting pressure on state services.

The latest demonstration reflects growing domestic criticism of Saied, who dissolved parliament in 2022 and expanded presidential powers by governing through decrees in moves opponents and rights organizations say undermined the democratic system established after Tunisia’s 2011 uprising.

Saied has repeatedly rejected accusations of authoritarianism, saying his measures are necessary to combat corruption and prevent political paralysis and instability.

Tunisia’s legal and media sectors have also intensified criticism of the government in recent weeks. The national bar association has called for strikes over concerns regarding judicial independence, while the journalists’ union has announced protests against the detention of journalists and what it describes as increasing restrictions on press freedom.

Authorities deny accusations of political repression and say legal actions taken against critics are carried out in accordance with the law.

Tunisia’s economic difficulties have been compounded by financing pressures and delays in implementing reforms sought by international lenders, while unemployment and declining purchasing power continue to fuel public frustration.

Local media reported Abdelli was charged with insulting state officials and offending public morals.

The decision comes amid heightened criticism from the performer toward Kais Saied, whom he has mocked in recent satirical content.Speaking from Paris, where he now resides, Abdelli said the verdict was intended to intimidate artists and suppress critical voices.

“This ruling is aimed at intimidating artists, silencing free and critical voices. It is a political verdict,” he said, adding that being sentenced over his work reflected broader concerns about freedom of expression.A court spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Abdelli, 56, has long been known for his political satire and caricatured portrayals of Tunisia’s leaders. His performances gained prominence after the Tunisian Revolution, which led to expanded civil liberties following the ousting of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

However, rights groups say freedoms have eroded since 2021, when Saied consolidated power and began ruling by decree. Critics argue that these measures have weakened democratic institutions and enabled prosecutions targeting journalists, activists and opposition figures.

In recent years, several opposition leaders, along with journalists and business figures, have been detained on charges including conspiracy against state security, corruption and money laundering.Saied has rejected accusations of authoritarianism, saying that freedoms remain guaranteed while emphasizing that no individual is above the law regardless of their status.

The case underscores ongoing tensions in Tunisia over the boundaries of free expression and the role of satire in political discourse more than a decade after the uprising that triggered the wider Arab Spring.

In March, Tunisia implemented measures to address the water scarcity issue, which included cutting off water supply during the night and prohibiting its use in agricultural activities. Initially set to expire on September 30, the government has now decided to extend these restrictions indefinitely to cope with the ongoing drought.

Furthermore, the use of drinking water for non-essential purposes such as washing cars, watering green areas, and cleaning streets and public spaces remains strictly prohibited. These measures aim to conserve water resources and ensure that available supplies are prioritized for essential needs.

Tunisia has implemented stringent penalties for those who violate the water usage ban. Offenders may face fines and imprisonment ranging from six days to six months, highlighting the seriousness with which the government is addressing the water scarcity issue.

The prolonged drought in Tunisia has taken a toll on agriculture, a vital sector for the country’s economy. The ban on using water for agricultural activities aims to mitigate the impact of the drought on crops and preserve water supplies for domestic consumption.

The government’s decision to extend the water quota system and agricultural ban reflects the ongoing challenges posed by the prolonged drought. By implementing these measures, Tunisia aims to better manage its water resources and ensure the availability of drinking water for its population.

Efforts to address the water scarcity issue in Tunisia also include initiatives to promote water conservation, explore alternative water sources, and improve water management practices. The government is actively working towards long-term solutions to mitigate the effects of drought and build resilience against future water crises.

As Tunisia continues to face the consequences of a prolonged drought, the government’s decision to extend the water quota system and agricultural ban underscores the importance of sustainable water management and conservation efforts. It remains crucial for individuals and businesses to adhere to these measures to ensure the efficient use of water resources and the well-being of the population in the face of water scarcity.

In addition to former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed and former Chief of Staff Nadia Akacha, the 12 included Moadh Ghannouchi, the son of Ennahda Islamist party leader Rached Ghannouchi.

All 12 persons are abroad now, the spokesperson added.

The ministry said the bodies were found during patrols near the border areas with Tunisia between Dahra and Tawilat Al-Rutba.

Dozens of sub-Saharan Africans are stranded near the Libyan border and say that the Tunisian authorities removed them to this border area from the city of Sfax earlier this month.

The Tunisian government then moved them to shelters in two towns, but rights groups said that dozens are still stuck there in very difficult conditions, left thirsty and hungry in an unprecedented heatwave.

Tunisian president Kais Saied in February denounced undocumented sub-Saharan African immigration to his country, saying in comments criticized by rights groups that it was aimed at changing Tunisia’s demographic make-up.

Tunisia is on the edge of a debt crisis and is suffering from shortages of essential goods. Most debt is internal but foreign loan repayments are due later this year and credit ratings agencies have said Tunisia may default.

“We will continue to support Tunisia in the coming weeks to provide additional support from the Saudi Development Fund and development funds in the Gulf.”, Saudi Arabian finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said after a meeting with Tunisia’s President Kais Saied.

The Saudi minister and Tunisian finance minister Sihem Boughdiri signed an agreement over a soft loan of $400 million and a grant of $100 million.

Tunisia is seeking to secure funds from the Gulf states after talks on a $1.9 billion loan have been stalled since October when Tunisia and the IMF reached a preliminary agreement.

Tunisia is facing an unprecedented migration crisis and has replaced Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.

The latest tragedy raises the number of dead and missing off the North African country’s coasts to more than 600 in the first half of 2023, far more than in any previous year, according to figures compiled by Reuters.

Tunisia’s coastguard rescued 11 people from the boat, which set off from the coast off the town of Zarzis, Faouzi Masmoudi, a judge in the city of Sfax, told Reuters.

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, a human rights group, said on Saturday that the number of dead and missing in boat sinkings has reached 608 and the coastguard had foiled attempts to board boats by about 33,000 people from Tunisia’s coasts.

Tunisia is under pressure from European countries to stop large numbers of people departing from its coasts. But President Kais Saied has said it will not act as a border guard.

Rome (Reuters) – Thirty-seven migrants are missing after their boat capsized between Tunisia and the Italian island of Lampedusa, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, citing an account by four survivors of the shipwreck.

The United Nations agency said the survivors, all from sub-Saharan Africa, arrived on Lampedusa late on Thursday, having been rescued from the shipwreck by another vessel.

The survivors told the IOM they left the Tunisian port of Sfax heading for Italy with 46 people aboard, but their boat capsized in strong winds.

They recounted that five of their fellow travellers were picked up by another boat, while 37 are missing feared dead, including seven women and a child, an IOM spokesman in Italy told Reuters.

Earlier, the UN’s High Commission for Refugees gave a similar account of the same incident, but said 40 people were believed to be missing, rather than 37.

There has been a surge in migration across the Mediterranean from Tunisia this year after a crackdown by Tunis on migrants from sub-Saharan Africa living in the country illegally and reports of racist attacks amid an economic downturn.

At least 12 African migrants were missing and three died after three boats sank off Tunisia, a judicial official said on Thursday, while the country’s coastguard rescued 152 others.

It was not immediately clear if the four survivors who recounted their story to the IOM were on one of these three boats.

Jeddah (AP) — Smiles, a handshake and what Tunisian President Kais Saied called a “historic meeting” with the long-ostracized Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

The talks between the two presidents, held before the start on Friday of the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia, buried memories, and perhaps the legacy, of the Arab Spring which started in Tunisia 12 years ago. That series of uprisings gave the North African country its first taste of democracy as protests rolled across the region, including in Syria.

“Today, I am absolutely convinced of Tunisian support for Syria,” a statement from Saied’s office said after what it called the “historic” meeting.

Tunisia, reborn after its 2011 revolution which toppled autocratic ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was among the fiercest critics of Assad. But Saied has largely trampled the gains of Tunisia’s revolution since his 2019 election, notably by assuming near full powers after suspending the legislature in 2021 then dissolving it in his crackdown on corruption and dissent.

Tunisia resumed diplomatic relations with Syria in April, and Assad’s presence at the Arab League summit sealed Syria’s return to the club of Arab nations.

The official TAP news agency showed photos of him and Assad greeting each other with smiles, a warm hand shake and a sit-down for serious talks. Assad was invited to the residence where the Tunisian president was staying in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian city hosting the summit.

Syria was kicked out of the club of Arab nations in 2011 at the start of its brutal civil war. That was months after Tunisia’s revolution.

“We stand together against the movement of darkness,” Assad said, apparently referring to extremist groups that came to dominate the Syrian opposition as his country’s war ground on, and militants groups there drew a large number of recruits from Tunisia.

In an interview with Tunisian television, Assad said that the North African country “used to be a platform to propagate the (Islamist) mindset.”

“After my meeting with Kais Saied, I am now convinced that the Arab people hasn’t changed and Tunisia is the same,” he was quoted as saying by the Radio Mosaique.

Among numerous figures jailed in Saied’s crackdown is Rached Ghannouchi, head of the moderate Islamist party that triumphed in Tunisia’s first free elections in October 2011. Ghannouchi was also speaker of the parliament that Saied dissolved.

Ghannouchi, 81, founder of the Ennahdha party, has refused to be removed from his place of detention for questioning or to attend Monday’s trial, considering that the cases are “political settling of scores targeting opponents of the regime,” lawyer Samir Dilou, a former party leader, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Ghannouchi, a former speaker of parliament, is the most prominent critic of Tunisian President Kais Saied. He has maintained that Saied’s move in 2021 to take all powers into his hands amounted to a coup d’etat.

Ghannouchi was detained in mid-April on the charge of plotting against the security of the state. He has been called in numerous times for questioning on various matters, but this was the first time he wasn’t released.

Monday’s case grew out of a complaint by a security union member claiming that Ghannouchi used the word “taghout,” or tyrant, while eulogizing a member of his party at a February 2022 funeral. According to a tweet by his daughter Soumaya, he said that the deceased “did not fear poverty, ruler or tyrant.”

Ennahda condemned the decision to prosecute as “an unjust political ruling” and called for his immediate release.

Ghannouchi is also being investigated for what his party says is another case of twisting words — allegedly evoking the threat of civil war if Ennahdha and other opposition parties are excluded from the political scene.

His party said on its English-language Twitter account that Ghannouchi was charged with conspiracy against state security and ordered to remain in prison pending trial.

“Kais Saied is making a mockery of the judiciary, using it as a tool for political revenge and persecution,” his daughter tweeted.

About 20 other people, including the director of the respected radio Mosaique, Noureddine Bouttar, are currently detained on a variety of charges.

The crackdown on opponents comes amid growing social tensions and deepening economic troubles in Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy movement more than a decade ago.