On July 25, 2025, Tunisians took to the streets by the hundreds. They demonstrated in opposition to President Kais Saied, whose increasingly authoritarian rule has been subjected to growing condemnation from both domestic and international quarters. Now, four years since Saied unilaterally consolidated his power, the refrain from Washington remains the same. Most activists refer to this event as a “coup” that has pushed the country further toward authoritarianism.
Kais Saied, who came to power in 2021, suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister, and invoked a state of emergency to rule by decree. To say this was a big deal to the political milieu in Tunisia would be an understatement. The country, once an example of successful democratic transition from the Arab Spring, has since seen Saied on a campaign to deepen his one-man rule. Advocacy organizations are right to criticize that this has created a climate for pervasive human rights abuses.
Saied has since mounted a brutal assault on dissent. He has ordered mass arrests and tried to silence dissent through politically motivated trials for activists, journalists, and opposition figures. According to media reports, prisons have swelled with members of civil society and others who have spoken out against Saied’s regime. Activist Saib Souab noted, “Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison … Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason.”
Demonstrators on the streets voiced their discontent with slogans such as “No fear, no terror … streets belong to the people” and “The people want the fall of the regime.” Their statements are an indication of the deepening frustration with Saied’s rule. Monia Ibrahim, one of the protesters, stated, “Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees.”
Kais Saied has declared his foes to be “traitors and terrorists.” He goes so far as to say that judges who acquit these people are complicit in their murders. In 2022, he did something audacious. He dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council. He unconstitutionally dismissed dozens of judges, an act that most saw as an aggressive move to tighten his hold on power. Saied insists that the judiciary is now independent. Accountability, he insists, should reach everyone—even those holding high office.
Samir Dilou, an opposition figure, remarked on the significance of July 25, saying, “July 25 used to mark the Republic’s founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption.” Unfortunately, his statement encapsulates the disillusionment felt by most Tunisians with respect to their political situation today’s evening.
