Tunisian police arrest Chaima Issa to enforce 20-year jail term

30/11/2025 6:31

Tunisian police arrested prominent opposition figure Chaima Issa at a protest in the capital Tunis on Saturday to enforce a 20-year prison sentence, her lawyers said.



An appeals court handed jail terms of up to 45 years to opposition leaders, business leaders and lawyers on Friday on charges of conspiracy to overthrow President Kais Saied, in what critics said was a sign of increasingly authoritarian rule.



"They will arrest me shortly," Issa told Reuters moments before her arrest. "I say to the Tunisians, continue to protest and reject tyranny. We are sacrificing our freedom for you".



She described the charges as unjust and politically motivated.