Abir Moussi, a prominent opponent of Tunisian President Kais Saied, was detained by the police Tuesday. The incident occurred after Moussi’s participation in a sit-in protest at the entrance to the presidential palace.

According to local news, Aroussi Zgir, the head of the Lawyers’ Branch in Tunisia, stated that Moussi had been detained for 48 hours on charges of “processing personal data, obstructing the right to work, and assault intended to cause chaos.” Moussi’s lawyer, Nafie Al-Araibi, described the incident as a “kidnapping in front of the presidential palace.”

In response to her detention, the political office of the Free Destourian Party issued a statement condemning the arrest as a “dangerous and arbitrary violation.” The party expressed concern about President Saied’s control over administrative departments, the erosion of neutrality in public services and the hindrance of appeal procedures against his orders. The statement also called upon the Tunisian people not to submit to intimidation and urged them to defend their rights, the country’s institutions, security and territorial integrity in the face of “growing authoritarianism.”

This latest arrest comes in the wake of a series of actions against opposition figures and parties in Tunisia. In April, the Ennahdha offices, headquarters of Tunisia’s Islamist-inspired opposition party, were shut down, and the party’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi, was arrested. In June, opposition figure Chaima Issa’s release from prison was blocked by a public prosecutor, sparking concerns of political manipulation. In September, Abdel Karim Harouni, head of the Ennahda party’s advisory council and a senior opposition figure, was placed under house arrest.