TUNIS, Tunisia 

Human rights group Amnesty International has called on the Tunisian authorities to drop criminal charges against eight political prisoners and critics of the country's president, Kais Saied.

In a statement, the London-based group said Chaima Issa, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Khayam Turki, Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Reda Belhadj, Abdelhamid Jelass, and Lazhar Akremi have been arbitrarily detained since February 2023 on unfounded conspiracy charges.

The rights group called on the authorities to "drop the charges and release the detainees immediately."

There was no comment from the Tunisian authorities on Amnesty’s statement.

In February, the Tunisian authorities launched a wide arrest campaign against critics of Saied, accusing them of being part of a conspiracy against state security.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's economic conditions since 2021 when Saied ousted the government and dissolved parliament.

Since then, Saied held a referendum to draft a new constitution last July and parliamentary elections in December.

While the Tunisian leader insists that his measures were meant to "save" the country, critics have accused him of orchestrating a coup.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara