Tunisian authorities have issued a 30‑day suspension of the local branch of international human‑rights organisation Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF). The measure, announced by ASF Tunisia on Tuesday, follows a similar ban imposed earlier on the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), a 2015 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The agency confirmed it had received an order suspending its activities for a month but did not disclose the grounds for the decision. In a statement, ASF described the restriction as “an unjustified infringement on the freedom of civil action and a clear targeting of independent spaces that strive to serve the public good and promote the values of solidarity, justice and the rule of law.” The organization asserted its right to defend itself and to appeal the ruling.
The suspension of ASF comes ten days after the government halted the operations of LTDH for the same period. The LTDH ban was part of a broader wave of restrictions that began in 2021, when President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power led to a systematic rollback of civil liberties. Saied has repeatedly accused NGOs of receiving “huge sums” of foreign funding, labeling such support as “blatant interference” in Tunisia’s internal affairs.
Since the end of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has been praised for its democratic transition, yet the Saied administration has increasingly curtailed space for civil society. By the autumn of last year, at least 17 NGOs had been ordered to suspend their activities for a month, including prominent groups such as the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES) and the Association of Democratic Women (ATFD).
Human‑rights observers note that the pattern of temporary bans signals heightened pressure on organizations that monitor government actions and advocate for legal reforms. The restrictions also raise concerns about Tunisia’s compliance with international standards on freedom of association.
ASF has indicated it will pursue legal recourse to challenge the suspension. The outcome of the appeal could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the country. International donors and human‑rights bodies are expected to monitor the situation closely, given the broader implications for civil‑society space in Tunisia.
