Tunisia rejects foreign interference after US voices concern over human rights

TUNIS - Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday rejected any form of foreign interference in the internal affairs of his country, saying Tunisia is an independent and sovereign state that fully respects the law.

"We know very well what we are doing is in full respect of the law," Saied said in a speech broadcast by the presidency.

"Tunisia has never issued statements to express its concern over the conditions of rights and freedoms in a number of countries that behave in this way," he added.

Saied's remarks came after the US government expressed its "extreme concern over reported arrests of multiple political figures, business leaders, and journalists in Tunisia in recent days".

On Wednesday, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said "the US is engaged with the Tunisian government at all levels in support of human rights and the freedom of expression".

Saied said that Tunisia's sovereignty is above all considerations, "especially since the principle of freedom remains more anchored here long before them... they must look at their history before looking at our history and look at their reality before they talk about the situation in Tunisia."