Abdallah El Saïd, founder of the association “Children of the Moon” in Medenine, in the south of Tunisia, which helps migrants, was arrested and transferred to the anti-terrorism unit this week. The general secretary and treasurer of the NGO were also detained.
Known for his work in southern Tunisia, Abdallah El Saïd was apprehended and then moved to the anti-terrorism division, as confirmed by Romdhane Ben Amor, the spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), on Saturday, November 16, to AFP. Ben Amor highlighted that moving the investigation to the anti-terrorism unit “sends a dangerous signal, as it’s the first time the authorities have used it for associations dealing with migration issues.”
Abdallah El Saïd, a Tunisian of Chadian descent and founder of “Children of the Moon” in Medenine, was arrested on November 12 along with his association’s general secretary and treasurer, according to Ben Amor. Two bank agents managing the NGO’s accounts are also under custody. The newspaper La Presse, close to the government, reported that “five activists working for an association in Medenine were placed in custody to be referred to the judicial terrorism combat unit… Between 2019 and 2023, this association allegedly received foreign funds to help Sub-Saharan migrants enter Tunisia illegally,” the daily affirmed.
Essayist Hatem Nafti, author of the recently published book “Our Friend Kaïs Saïed” by Riveneuve editions, told RFI that Abdallah El Saïd knew he was threatened. “For months, he was receiving visits from the authorities and police. Other leaders of migrant aid associations have been arrested under similar circumstances and have been imprisoned for months without trial, with their cases taking a very long time to process, and the judiciary is no longer independent [in Tunisia]. I’m not very optimistic about his situation. He is an ideal scapegoat for the authorities,” said Nafti.
A monitoring committee composed of several NGOs has launched an appeal to support Abdallah El Saïd, stating that “his only crime was showing solidarity with migrant and refugee children in the Medenine region.” Romdhane Ben Amor denounces “a new wave of harsher repression against activists helping migrants,” following an initial series of arrests in May targeting at least three organizations: the anti-racist activist Saadia Mosbah’s Mmemty association, Terre d’Asile, and the Tunisian Refugee Council.
This move, according to Ben Amor, is “a message to all actors working in solidarity with migrants.”
In February 2023, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed denounced the arrival of “hordes of illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa” as part of a “criminal plan to change the demographic composition” of the country. Tunisia, with its coast sometimes less than 150 km from Italy, is one of the main departure points in North Africa for Sub-Saharan migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing each year.
