Protesters gathered near the main courthouse in Tunis as police, acting on the prosecutor’s orders, barred journalists from entering, according to reporters on the scene.
Inside, black-robed lawyers chanted slogans such as “Freedom!” and “The police state belongs in the past!” as shown in live-streamed videos on social media.
The protest was organized by the bar association, which also announced a nationwide strike following the arrests of Sonia Dahmani and Mehdi Zagrouba during police raids on its headquarters on Saturday and Monday.
Lawyers reported that Zagrouba was hospitalized after fainting and being beaten while in custody.
Hundreds of lawyers, activists, and others demonstrated in Tunis on Thursday over the arrests, as confirmed by AFP journalists.
Hatem Meziou, the president of the bar, condemned the police raids as unlawful and called for an end to “abuse of power” and “violence” against lawyers. He urged President Kais Saied to intervene.
However, Saied responded on Thursday, asserting that the bar association is subject to Tunisian law and not an autonomous entity. He stated that the arrests were conducted “in full respect for Tunisian law,” which ensures equality and the right to a fair trial, according to a video released by the presidency on social media.
Saied, who assumed extensive powers following a significant political move in 2021, emphasized that “no one is above the law.”
