The United States has raised concerns following reports that people in Tunisia have faced criminal charges after having contact with the US embassy in Tunis.
The country continues its authoritarian turn with the arrest of several opponents in recent days. Washington said Tunisia was experiencing an “escalation” of arrests of government critics.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price signaled US concern over the situation in his daily briefing.
“We are concerned about reports that criminal charges have been brought against individuals in Tunisia, apparently resulting from their meetings or conversations with members of the United States Embassy,” he indicated.
“This is part of an escalation in the arrests of people perceived to be critical of the government, as I have said before. Tunisian, he added to the press.
Tunisia continues to engulf itself in totalitarianism and the taking of contested radical positions since President Kais Saied’s hold-up on power in July 2022, taking up the Algerian model of Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Ned Price, did not give the names of the people identified by the United States nor the subject of the discussions and contact between the Tunisian nationals and the American diplomats.
He just said: “All our embassies, and (all) our diplomats around the world” meet various personalities in all countries.
” We respect the aspirations of the Tunisian people for an independent and transparent judicial system capable of protecting the fundamental freedoms of all,” he continued.
And to recall the commitment of the USA “with the Tunisian government at all levels to support human rights and freedom of expression”.
On Tuesday after reports of arrests of people who had contact with Western diplomats, Tunisia’s foreign ministry warned in a statement calling for “not to interfere in its internal affairs”.
Tunisia has recently experienced a series of arrests of politicians, opposition figures, civil society activists, media officials and trade unionists, sparking a wave of indignation from several defense NGOs human rights.