«Arresting people on vague claims of conspiracy flies in the face of basic human rights,» said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

She described in a statement from Amnesty released Wednesday the latest round of arrests in Tunisia a deliberate attempt to quash dissent including criticism of the president.»

Amnesty said in the statement the Tunisian authorities are «escalating efforts to crack down on high-profile critics and perceived opponents of President Kais Saied with the arrest of at least ten people in a week of political turmoil.»

It called on President Kais Saied to call off this «politically motivated witch hunt» and focus instead on finding real solutions to help alleviate the suffering of those hit hard by Tunisia’s «crumbling economy.»

President Saied has branded those arrested as «terrorists» and accused them of «conspiring to undermine the state and manipulate food prices to foment social tension.»

However, he stressed that these arrests were carried out in accordance with legal procedures, despite the attempts of some to evade responsibility by claiming illness or insanity.

The Head of State also stressed that these arrests had nothing to do with the freedom of expression guaranteed by the law

Source: Tap News Agency