Family members of jailed lawyers and politicians in Tunisia want the International Criminal Court to investigate claims of political persecution and human rights violations as an increasing number of President Kais Saied's opponents are arrested and several in prison stage hunger strikes.
Yusra Ghannouchi, the daughter of jailed opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, plans to join other jailed dissidents' sons and daughters in The Hague on Thursday to announce plans to pursue action at the court.
In a news release on Monday, they noted the increasing number of judges, politicians, journalists, and prominent opposition voices being arrested and alleged a campaign of persecution against Black migrants throughout Tunisia.
The announcement will likely draw attention to the increasingly repressive political landscape that has taken shape in Tunisia since the country revised its constitution in 2021, allowing Saied to expand his powers, freeze out the parliament, and rule largely by decree. As the country's economy sinks, Saied's government has jailed dozens of critics and drummed up animosity against Black migrants. It has often escalated to violence.
The group is expected to file what's called an Article 15 submission on Thursday, providing the court's prosecutor documents that outline claims of at least one of the four crimes it pursues—genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or crimes of aggression.
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