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Tunisia authorities place opposition leader under house arrest – JURIST

Tunisian authorities placed Abdel Karim Harouni, the head of Ennahda party’s advisory council and a senior opposition figure, under house arrest on Saturday, according to a statement from the National Salvation Front, Tunisia’s main opposition coalition.The National Salvation Front called decision arbitrary, saying it targets dissent and interferes with the internal affairs of political parties. Karim Harouni’s house arrest follows the recent closure of the party’s offices and mass arrests of Ennahda leadership. Ennahda has served as the largest opposition party since the ouster of longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.President Kais Saied has faced allegations of consolidating power and cracking down on political rivals since seizing sweeping powers last year. Over the past year, hundreds have been detained with several prominent figures like Rached Ghannouchi and Ali Laarayedh held for months.International pressure on Tunisia has grown over deteriorating human rights conditions. In May, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights granted provisional measures for detainees citing imminent harm and lack of due process. It ordered Tunisia to explain the legal basis for detentions and ensure access to lawyers. However, families report worsening treatment of prisoners and judges continuing decades-long prison terms without clear evidence.