Tunisia - October 2025

In October, environmental protests erupted in the southern city of Gabès after a spike in respiratory illnesses and poisoning was linked to toxic emissions from the state-owned company Groupe Chimique Tunisien (GCT). On 11 October, thousands of residents marched through the city, demanding the closure of the chemical complex, which protestors held responsible for decades of contamination in the Gulf of Gabès. The demonstration started peacefully but turned tense when police blocked access to the industrial zone, leading to clashes, tear gas and several injuries. As public outrage spread, trade unions and civil society groups organized a general strike on 21 October, which largely paralysed the region of Gabès, followed by a solidarity march in Tunis on 25 October, marking the events as one of the largest environmental mobilizations in recent years.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Jeune Afrique, Nawaat

In late October, authorities suspended several major civil society organizations for 30 days, citing administrative or financial irregularities. On 24 October, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD) was suspended for one month, forcing the closure of its counselling centres for women survivors of gender-based violence, followed shortly by the suspension of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES). In early November, the Tunis office of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the independent media platform, Nawaat, were similarly ordered to halt activities. The 30-day suspensions could be prolonged or repeated, threatening press freedom and further restricting civic space. Rights groups have regarded the measures as part of a broader crackdown on civil society, noting reports of arbitrary enforcement, including instances where several organizations did not receive prior warnings about alleged irregularities or guidance on how to rectify them.

Sources: Associated Press, International Federation of Journalists, International Federation for Human Rights, The New Arab, Business News, Amnesty International