TUNIS — Tunisia’s government dissolved the People’s Party, the country’s main secular opposition party, and arrested its leader Ahmed Echourouk on Thursday on charges of “plotting against state security” — a move critics say is designed to eliminate a key rival ahead of the October presidential election. The Interior Ministry issued a statement accusing the party of receiving foreign funding and operating a “shadow network” to destabilize the state. A court order signed by a judge appointed last month under the new constitution authorized the closure. At least 14 party offices were sealed by security forces overnight.
Echourouk’s lawyer called the charges “fabricated” and said his client was detained at a location not disclosed to family or counsel. The party’s social media accounts were suspended. The National Union of Tunisian Journalists said three journalists were briefly detained while covering a protest at the party headquarters. The EU said the dissolution was “inconsistent with Tunisia’s international commitments” and raised concerns about the shrinking democratic space. The African Union said it was “watching with concern.” President Saied’s office said the action was “fully within the law.”
The People’s Party was polling at 22 percent — the highest of any opposition group — and widely seen as the only candidate with a realistic chance of forcing a runoff against Saied. With Echourouk in detention, the party is effectively sidelined. International monitors said the election framework now fails basic standards for a credible contest. The dinar fell 1.8 percent against the euro on the news.
Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East Correspondent
Layla Hassan
Layla Hassan covers Middle East politics, conflict, and diplomacy from the Gulf to the Levant.