Tunisian authorities have escalated a campaign against civil society organisations, using a legal process of warnings, suspensions and dissolutions under Decree-Law No 88. Around 600 organisations are reported to be under investigation, drawing criticism from rights groups. [Source: Middle East Eye]

Tunisian authorities have intensified their crackdown on non-governmental organisations, using a legal mechanism under Decree-Law No 88 regulating associations, which typically involves a three-step process: an administrative warning, a temporary suspension, and finally dissolution. This institutional overhaul has been accompanied by a wave of arrests and administrative harassment targeting civil society groups working across a wide range of fields, from human rights and migration to anti-corruption and social justice. Around 600 organisations are reported to be under investigation as part of the crackdown. Authorities say the measures are aimed at combating suspicious foreign funding and protecting national interests, but rights groups, including Amnesty International, have dismissed this justification as a pretext to intimidate NGOs and further restrict civic space. According to Amnesty, what began as intimidation, arbitrary restrictions and asset freezes has evolved into a systematic campaign threatening the survival of Tunisia's once-vibrant civil society, one of the key achievements of the 2011 revolution.