Tunisia steps up civil society crackdown as anger mounts over power and water shortages

The Tunisian government is escalating its wide-reaching crackdown on civil society, as public frustration mounts over ongoing power and water shortages amid soaring temperatures. Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a report on Wednesday that the authorities' intensifying repression of NGOs is part of a push to completely shutter civil society. The 49-page report detailed a raft of measures wielded by President Kais Saied's government - including prosecution, arbitrary detention, financial investigations and mass suspensions - to target local and civil society groups, their members, workers and associates.