Paris, 27 April 2026. Alexis Deswaef, President of the FIDH explains, "This suspension is obviously anything but a surprise, given that attacks on Tunisian civil society are as brutal as they are systematic. It is nonetheless alarming. The LTDH is not like other organisations in Tunisia; with this suspension, the very core of Tunisia’s democratic struggle is attacked. Aside from its highly symbolic significance, this opaque decision will inevitably have very real and devastating consequences for Tunisians."
The suspension of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) is a grave measure that undermines the very concept of the rule of law in the country. In practical terms, the suspension aims to prevent the LTDH from continuing its work to monitor human rights violations, support victims, and undertake other vital activities such as prison visits. Ultimately, Kais Saied is seeking to neutralise the LTDH’s ability to countervail power.
This iconic organisation, founded in 1977, is one of the oldest and most respected in the Arab world and on the African continent. Today, it is under attack as never before. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its role as part of the National Dialogue Quartet, the weakening of an organisation such as the LTDH has consequences that go beyond the organisation itself: it affects the entire structure civil society that took shape in the wake of the 2011 revolution in Tunisia.
The suspension is a flagrant attack on the freedom of association and on the viability of civil society organisations, as well as being a clear violation of the Constitution and of the provisions of Decree-Law No. 88 of 2011. This latest act of repression, part of an endless series, is devoid of any legal basis or legitimacy and is part of a general trend of using administrative and judicial mechanisms to constrain the activities of independent organisations.
Since 2021 and his constitutional coup, Kais Saied has been gradually amassing all the powers. This has gone hand in hand with systematic repression, the criminalisation of critical voices (particularly that of the press), a surge in abusive prosecutions, and smear campaigns against human rights defenders.
Given the attacks on civic space, the FIDH reaffirms its complete solidarity with the LTDH and with all Tunisian civil society organisations that are the subject of restrictive measures or administrative or legal pressure. The FIDH firmly opposes the suspension, as does the LTDH, which has stated its intention to use all legal avenues to challenge the decision.
FIDH calls on the Tunisian authorities to:
– immediately lift the suspension of LTDH’s activities and cease all similar measures that target independent civil society organisations;
– cease using legal and administrative mechanisms to exert pressure on or punish civil society organisations;
– guarantee effective and unimpeded respect for freedom of association, in accordance with the provisions of the Tunisian Constitution and with the country’s international obligations;
– discontinue any practice or measure that arbitrarily restricts the functioning of civil society organisations; and
– fully guarantee fundamental freedoms, and first and foremost the freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly.