Tunis, Tunisia – Mounia Brahim shakes as she recounts the arrest of her husband Abdelhamid Jelassi, a former politician from the Ennahdha occasion, from their residence within the Tunisian capital.

“About 8pm Saturday [February 11], there was a banging on the backyard gate. Within the time it took my husband to stroll to the entrance gate [to see who it was], uniformed policemen had been climbing over our backyard wall, then walked straight into our condominium, taking his telephone and iPad and my cellular and laptop computer,” she stated.

Jelassi is amongst a number of individuals whose often-violent, night-time detentions have shocked the nation and drawn worldwide condemnation whereas elevating fears over a crackdown on dissent. They embody these with ties to the opposition, critics of President Kais Saied, businessmen, the top of a number one radio station, attorneys and a former diplomat.

Brahim stated the boys confirmed neither any police IDs nor a warrant even when she demanded, however she famous they had been carrying the civil police uniform.

“They advised me they had been from the Ministry of Inside however wore civil police uniform,” she added, after which they took her husband. He’s at present being held in pre-trial detention in Mornaguia jail.

‘One other spherical of dictatorship’

For Brahim, that is historical past repeating itself. She stated she and her husband had been imprisoned and tortured below Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the previous president who fled the nation in 2011 following protests in opposition to his oppressive rule.

“We’ve returned to a different spherical of dictatorship, however this time it’s a lot harder,” she stated.

Referring to what felt like a house invasion, she added, “I really feel that there isn’t any longer any dignity. I’m below surveillance and I actually concern for my security.”

That very same night time, Khayam al-Turki, a member of the centre-left Ettakatol (Democratic Discussion board for Labour and Liberties) occasion, was taken from his home after midnight and is at present detained below terrorism legal guidelines from 2015.

Like al-Turki, businessman Kamal Ltaief, reputed to be a robust lobbyist, was additionally held below the counterterrorism regulation.

Ltaief, who was as soon as very near Ben Ali and helped him rise to energy in 1987, survived investigations throughout the 2011 revolution to proceed his enterprise and funding pursuits.

Former diplomat William Lawrence, a professor on the American College in Washington, DC, advised Al Jazeera: “Ltaief likes to name himself Tunisia’s de facto vice chairman after 1989 [and] has been described as an influence dealer or kingmaker, he has that ability of brokering offers.”

Al-Turki’s lawyer, Ridha Bel Hadj, stated his arrest is expounded to his assembly with two American diplomats. The police case notes point out the licence plate numbers of the diplomats’ automobiles, the lawyer stated.

Bel Hadj defined that there was no formal cost in opposition to al-Turki, however a suggestion of his “forming a prison gang to hurt the Tunisian state”.

“The case in opposition to them is empty. They’re utilizing the terrorism regulation to carry them for a most of 15 days with out cost or session with a lawyer,” he stated, explaining that it was used to achieve time.

Trampling dissent

A number of arrests have been made since Saturday. Rights group Amnesty Worldwide has to this point documented 10 arrests. Aside from politicians, these being held are accused of value fixing, market manipulation or creating meals shortages.

Tunisians have for months been affected by shortages of meals – even fundamental requirements reminiscent of oil, sugar, milk and butter – with the federal government trying to stave off chapter whereas attempting to barter a refinancing mortgage from the Worldwide Financial Fund.

Saied has added gasoline to the hearth by accusing a few of these detained not too long ago of being chargeable for the worth will increase and meals shortages whereas pledging to “purify the nation” utilizing the justice system.

Chaima Aissa, a pacesetter of the Nationwide Salvation Entrance, stated al-Turki has been organising conferences of key opposition figures since December 27 to develop a roadmap to exit the disaster and rebuild the nation.

Aissa is already going through fees of criticising the president on a radio interview below the cybercrime decree regulation of September 2022. She is at present at liberty, however below a journey ban awaiting trial in a army courtroom and will probably face years in jail if convicted.

Saied has confronted criticism and scrutiny from each the worldwide neighborhood and human rights teams for his use of army courts to strive residents.

“Saied is making a diversion, he’s mixing political targets with prison instances to offer an impression that political actors are chargeable for value rises and meals shortages,” Aissa advised Al Jazeera.

“Saied is utilizing the terrorism act and value fixing accusations to get public sympathy, it’s pure populism,” stated Bel Hadj, including that it was merely a gathering of a gaggle of politically like-minded individuals.

On Monday night time, Ennahdha’s vice chairman and former justice minister, Nourredine Bhiri, 64, was taken into custody. The average Islamist occasion was the biggest in parliament till the meeting was suspended in 2021 by Saied.

Bhiri had been beforehand arrested, and his location was solely disclosed when he fell unwell from being on a starvation strike. He was lastly launched in March 2022.

Bhiri’s lawyer Samir Dillou advised Al Jazeera that police assaulted his spouse, arrested him and later beat him in custody.

“His proper shoulder was damaged and he acquired different accidents to his leg,” stated Dillou. “Surgical procedure on his shoulder was delayed,” the lawyer added, additionally explaining the considerations as Bhiri is aged, with diabetes and hypertension.

The arrest of Nourredine Battou, the director normal of Mosaiq FM, the nation’s largest radio community, on the night time of February 13, has been condemned by the journalist and radio unions. He was identified for giving a platform to these vital of Saied and his administration.

The radio station was a personal firm, however the state took half possession after the 2011 revolution. Bel Hadj sees the arrest of Mosaiq FM’s head to realize management of its editorial line and silence vital debate and intimidate journalists.

On Thursday, the Tunisian journalists’ union SNJT demonstrated in entrance of presidency buildings, the Kasbah, denouncing the worsening working circumstances and arrests.

Legal professionals have additionally expressed concern over the surveillance that each Tunisian political figures and international diplomats are below.

Aissa famous that policing was again to the Ben Ali days when even being seen with a international journalist in a automotive was harmful. “They might make up a cost in opposition to me. Saied has arrived at a brand new stage of harassment, he’s creating an environment of concern and individuals are actually afraid.”

A return to autocracy?

UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern “over the deepening crackdown in opposition to perceived political opponents and civil society”, whereas the US State Division’s spokesperson Ned Worth stated “it’s a core US precept that folks around the globe ought to be capable to categorical themselves with out concern or reprisal”.

Lawrence stated diplomats “virtually at all times know when they’re being surveilled, it’s a customary a part of diplomatic follow”, including that experiences of surveillance could be adopted up with an investigation.

“The problem is that the US is a significant safety ally of Tunisia and the US is spending some huge cash to bolster safety forces together with surveillance [since the 2015-16 terror attacks on Tunisia],” he stated.

Tunisia is popping its enhanced surveillance capability on Tunisian politicians assembly with US diplomats after which accusing them of conspiracy to hurt the state, he famous, including that “all that bodes very badly for the US-Tunisia relationship going ahead”.

“If he [Saeid] needs to supplant the American function with the Russians or Chinese language, it doesn’t assist his case for Tunisia to be a great safety accomplice with others sooner or later.”

Lawrence added that “if he does this at this time with the US he might do [it] tomorrow with one other safety accomplice, it’s safety and diplomatic malpractice”.

Talking on Tunisian tv on Thursday, Dillou stated 14 attorneys, together with himself, have been summoned for trial in March.

He believes that they’re being focused as a result of they’re representing political figures and critics, and “the quantity will probably be elevated. Some might be arrested even earlier than the date set for his or her courtroom look.”

There will likely be extra arrests, Bel Hadj stated. The president “is blocked inside his personal political programme. I believe Saied has no alternative however to proceed to train his authoritarian energy.”