Summary:

This week saw additional arrests of opposition figures in Tunisia, including several additional senior leaders of the Ennahdha party as pressure on the country’s political opposition persists.

On Tuesday, the interim head of Ennahdha, Mondher Ounissi, was arrested. Ounissi was leading the Ennahdha party in the place of detained leader Rached Ghannouchi.

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Abdel Karim Harouni, the head of Ennahdha’s Shura Council was also arrested after having been placed under house arrest.

Also on Tuesday, Hamadi Jebali, a former senior Ennahdha official, was arrested in Sousse during a police raid on his home.

Outlook:  

Ennahdha remains a relatively low-stakes target for the current administration as President Kais Saied pursues his popular mandate to address corruption in the political system.

Ennahdha is accepted by many as scapegoat for the country’s challenges, with many Tunisians supporting the ongoing crackdown on Ennahdha officials who are widely viewed as responsible for the post-revolutionary decline of what was Tunisia’s promising democracy.

A legal focus on Ennahdha is likely to continue through the fall and winter as the country looks ahead to a pivotal political season amidst overlapping economic and security crises.

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