Tunisia police arrest opposition figure Chaima Issa during protest
Nov 30, 2025
Tunis [Tunisia], November 30: Tunisian police have arrested prominent opposition figure Chaima Issa at a protest in the capital Tunis on Saturday, lawyers said.
The protest came after an appeals court on Friday handed jail terms of up to 45 years to opposition leaders, businessmen and lawyers on charges of conspiracy to overthrow President Kais Saied. Issa was handed a 20-year sentence during the trial.
"They will arrest me shortly," Issa had told the Reuters news agency moments before her arrest.
"I say to the Tunisians, continue to protest and reject tyranny. We are sacrificing our freedom for you".
She described the charges as unjust and politically motivated.
Police are also widely expected to arrest Najib Chebbi, the head of the opposition National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition challenging Saied.
He received a 12-year prison sentence, and opposition figure Ayachi Hammami received a five-year sentence.
Human Rights Watch on Friday described the trial as a "travesty of justice", saying it was "political, unfair, and without the slightest evidence" against the defendants. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune
