Tunisia

After legislative and presidential elections in October 2019, a new coalition government headed by Elyes Fakhfakh took office on 27 February. Following allegations of corruption, Elyes Fakhfakh resigned on 15 July. President Kaïs Saïed tasked former Minister of Interior Hichem Mechichi to form a new government, which took office on 2 September.

The country was put under a general lockdown from 22 March to 4 May 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19. The government allocated TND450 million (US$155 million) in aid for poor families and people who had lost their income due to the pandemic and adopted other measures to support businesses and low-income workers. Restrictive measures due to the pandemic continue to remain in place, including a curfew.

Protests continued over the lack of employment opportunities, poor living conditions, and water shortages, particularly in marginalized and underdeveloped regions. People financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis protested in several governorates, accusing local authorities of corruption and demanding increases and a more transparent distribution of government aid. Protests were staged against insufficient government protection of health workers during the pandemic.

The Constitutional Court, which was due to be set up in 2015, was still not established as Parliament once again failed to elect the first third of the Court’s members.

The authorities have renewed four times the nationwide state of emergency (continuously in place since November 2015).

The government published in the official gazette the final report of the Truth and Dignity Commission, and trials continued before specialized criminal chambers of people accused of human rights violations committed between 1956 and 2013.

Bloggers and social media users continue to be investigated or prosecuted for the peaceful online expression of their views, including for criticizing the government’s approach to dealing with COVID-19. Refugees and asylum-seekers continue to be detained for irregular entry into Tunisia. Arbitrary detention of undocumented migrants in reception centers continues. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people continue to be arrested and detained for consensual same-sex sexual relations.