GNDEM Statement of Solidarity over the Refusal to Accredit Citizen Observers I Watch in Tunisia

The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) expresses its deep concern with the Tunisian Independent Higher Authority for Elections (ISIE) refusal to accredit the nonpartisan citizen election observer group I Watch. The refusal to accredit nonpartisan citizen observers contributes to a climate of fear and hampers the rights of the people of Tunisia to provide independent oversight over their country’s elections. GNDEM stands in solidarity with I Watch and all nonpartisan citizen election observers who face threats against their right to observe elections and defend the right of citizens to exercise their vote.

Tunisia will hold their presidential elections on October 6, 2024 amid serious concerns raised by citizen election observers regarding various restrictions surrounding the election targeting potential candidates, journalists and civil society actors. Non-partisan citizen observers have repeatedly denounced the attempts to their right to get accredited to observe the various phases of the electoral process as well as their right to access election-related information which tarnish the transparency of elections in Tunisia since the constitutional referendum in 2022.

GNDEM condemns all forms of threats, harassment and violence against nonpartisan citizen election observers. As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders stated, election observers, including nonpartisan citizen election observers, are human rights defenders who serve to protect civil and political rights of citizens and that “Member States are urged to take all necessary steps to establish conditions that allow national and international election observers to effectively do their work, and to protect them from any violence, threats, retaliation, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of their legitimate exercise of their rights and freedoms.”

We urge the Tunisian election commission to grant the accreditation of I Watch and other nonpartisan citizen election observers, and ensure their ability to freely observe the entire electoral process. We further urge the international community and international election observers to advocate for the rights of citizen election observers and call upon the ISIE and national stakeholders to ensure that these rights are respected and upheld.