Crackdown on Free Speech in Tunisia: Nawaat Journalists' Group Suspended

In a startling move against freedom of expression, Tunisian authorities ordered the suspension of Nawaat, one of the country's foremost independent investigative media outlets. This suspension marks a continuation of a broader crackdown against free speech and civil society, which has seen numerous prominent groups targeted.

The one-month suspension of Nawaat is part of a wider effort that has affected organizations like the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights and the Association of Democratic Women. The official reasoning cited financial audits linked to foreign funding, a claim dismissed by rights advocates as an attempt to silence dissenting voices.

Press freedom that flourished after Tunisia's 2011 revolution is eroding under President Kais Saied's decree-based rule since 2021. At least a dozen political activists have been imprisoned, and several NGOs have reported financial constraints. Despite these concerns, President Saied maintains that freedoms remain protected and denies authoritarian ambitions.