A 30-day judicial measure has targeted the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) amid escalating tensions between the government and civil society.
On April 24, 2026, the Tunisian judiciary decided to suspend the activities of the LTDH, one of the oldest human rights groups in the Arab world, for one month, according to a statement from the
organisation.
Founded in 1976, the league, which is celebrating its 48th anniversary this year, occupies a central place in the Tunisian civil society landscape, particularly since its participation in the National Dialogue Quartet, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015.
LTDH leaders denounced the measure as “dangerous and arbitrary,” arguing that it constitutes a direct attack on freedom of association.
The organisation claims it was informed without detailed justification and announces its intention to challenge the suspension before the competent courts, while the authorities, according to its officials, cite administrative irregularities related in particular to foreign funding.
This recourse to administrative arguments is part of a broader trend noted by several observers, who see it as a legal lever used to control the activities of critical organisations.
In concrete terms, the suspension prevents the League from carrying out certain sensitive missions, notably visits to prisons, a point considered crucial given the recurring concerns about prison conditions and prosecutions related to public expression.
This development is occurring within a more stressful institutional climate since 2021, marked by a concentration of executive and legislative powers at the presidential level.
Several civil society groups, ranging from feminist associations to migrant advocacy entities, have recently been subjected to similar measures, while journalists and opposition figures have been prosecuted or arrested in connection with their public stances.
Continuing this trend, the arrest of journalist Zied Heni on the same day as the suspension of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) illustrates the current tension.
Tunisian authorities, however, reject any authoritarian drift and emphasise the need to preserve national sovereignty in the face of foreign funding for NGOs.
This position continues to raise questions within the international community, which is closely watching the outcome of this judicial suspension after the 30-day injunction.
MK/AK/fss/as/APA