| The London Circle | 17 May 2023

When Kais Saied decided to mount a coup against the Tunisian constitution in the Summer of 2021, disband parliament and begin a steady process of sidelining his political detractors, the first and last bastion of the Arab Spring came tumbling down.

The Arab Spring was launched from the Tunisian capital Tunis in late 2010, and several Arab countries followed suit in what was widely recognised as one of the most significant phases of socio-political transformations in modern times. Yet, 13 years on, the picture couldn’t be more stark. With the Tunisian Parliament disbanded, the president holding almost absolute power and dozens of political prisoners languishing in prison facing a litany of politicised charges, among whom is the speaker of the aforementioned parliament.

Anas Altikriti discusses with Mouadh Ghannouchi and Ahmed Gaaloul how Tunisia and Tunisians got here, the dramatic events that saw the imprisonment of Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi as well as the factors which led to the collapse of the Jasmine Revolution and the recess of democracy, and prospects for the future for Tunisians.

 

-----------

Guests:

|  Ahmed Gaaloul, Former Tunisian MP

|  Mouadh Ghannouchi, Tunisian Activist

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.