23 June 2025 | 13:20 CAT
2-minute read

The imprisonment of Sheikh Rached el-Ghannouchi, a towering figure in Tunisia’s post-revolution political landscape, has reignited urgent debates about the global decline of democracy, with his daughter Yusra Ghannouchi leading an awareness campaign from South Africa.

Yusra’s recent visit to South Africa has shone a spotlight on what she describes as the politically motivated and unlawful detention of her father. Sheikh Ghannouchi, now 85 years old, played a central role in Tunisia’s democratic transition after the 2011 revolution, becoming the Speaker of Parliament and a key leader in the first elected government.

However, a decade later, he is in prison after Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended the parliament and constitution, effectively dismantling the democratic system Tunisia fought to build. “Democracy dies in darkness,” warned political analyst Qaanita Hunter, emphasising that Tunisia’s rapid democratic decline has been overlooked in a world overwhelmed by multiple crises.

Yusra Ghannouchi’s message is clear: the struggle for Palestine and the fight against occupation cannot be separated from the reality that many dictatorships in the Arab world quietly support oppression. “You cannot focus on one injustice while ignoring another,” she stressed, urging global citizens to draw the connection between complicit regimes and the ongoing suffering in places like Gaza.

Analysts caution that Tunisia’s story is a stark warning. Without sustained vigilance and public pressure, even celebrated democratic victories can be reversed within a decade. “What did people die for? What did people go to jail for if in just 10 years it’s all dissolved?” Hunter asked, reflecting on the hard-fought gains now slipping away.

South Africa’s position in this conversation is particularly significant. It is increasingly seen as one of the last credible global voices for democracy and human rights, particularly after taking Israel to the International Court of Justice. Yusra Ghannouchi’s decision to bring her campaign here underscores the global trust placed in South Africa to defend democratic values.

Her visit aimed not only to rally support for her father’s release but also to build cross-border solidarity against authoritarianism, which is on the rise across Africa. The visit comes ahead of an anticipated engagement with Sudan’s former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is also in South Africa to address the continent’s democratic backsliding.

“The fight to protect democracy is not just Tunisia’s struggle. It is Africa’s struggle. It is the world’s struggle,” Hunter noted, adding that if such reversals can happen in Tunisia, they can happen anywhere.

Listen to the Debrief Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.