TUNIS (Reuters) -A judge on Friday released a top official in Tunisia’s biggest labour union, one day after he was detained, the union said.
The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) denounced the detention of Tahar Mezzi on Thursday, saying it was a politically motivated attempt to undermine union rights.
Mezzi is the deputy secretary-general and the head of private sector in the union.
He was detained two days before a huge protest called by the UGTT against what it said was a “violation of union rights and the disruption of social dialogue”.
A judicial official said the judge also ordered a travel ban on Mezzi.
The UGTT did not say on what grounds Mezzi was detained.
Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment.
Since last year, police have arrested at least four senior union officials.
The UGTT, which has about 1 million members, had been a critical voice after the arrest of activists, businessmen and journalists since President Kais Saied seized most powers in 2021 when he closed parliament – a move that the opposition described as a coup.
But the voice of the union, which was widely seen as the biggest force in the country, has been significantly diminished since last year after the arrest of some officials.
Some political parties and activists have accuse UGTT of inaction, retreating from its role, and choosing silence instead of confronting Saied’s authoritarian approach. Saturday’s protest will be the first in months.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
