Abir Moussi

Abir Moussi was born on 15 March 1975, in Jemmal to a father working in the national security service (from Beja) and a mother who was a teacher (from Bab Souika).{{Cite web|title=Biographie de Abir Moussi, candidate à l'élection présidentielle anticipée|trans-title=Biography of Abir Moussi, candidate in the anticipated presidential election|url=http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2019/09/05/biographie-de-abir-moussi-candidate-a-lelection-presidentielle-anticipee/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909155546/http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2019/09/05/biographie-de-abir-moussi-candidate-a-lelection-presidentielle-anticipee/|archive-date=9 September 2019|archive-format=|access-date=|website=Kapitalis|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=Biographie de Mme Abir Moussi|trans-title=Biography of Mrs. Abir Moussi|url=https://www.turess.com/fr/tapfr/10378|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421235604/https://www.turess.com/fr/tapfr/10378|archive-date=21 April 2019|access-date=|website=Turess}}{{Cite web|title=Tunisie : Abir Moussi, portrait d'une Benaliste convaincue|trans-title=Tunisia: Abir Moussi, portrait of a convinced Ben Ali-ist|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/749576/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-portrait-dune-benaliste-convaincue/|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615182607/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/749576/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-portrait-dune-benaliste-convaincue/|archive-date=15 June 2020|access-date=|website=}}

Holder of a master's degree in law and a DEA in economic and business law, she became a lawyer at the Bar of the Court of Cassation, the highest court in Tunisia. She is also vice-president of the municipality of Ariana, president of the litigation committee and member of the national forum of lawyers of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) and secretary general of the Tunisian Association of Victims of Terrorism.

On 10 January 2010, she was appointed Assistant Secretary General in charge of Women at RCD. Following the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's regime and the dissolution of the RCD in 2011, which she opposed as a lawyer,{{Cite web|date=1 March 2019|title=Tunisie : Abir Moussi, portrait d'une Benaliste convaincue|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/749576/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-portrait-dune-benaliste-convaincue/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320133557/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/749576/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-portrait-dune-benaliste-convaincue/ |archive-date=20 March 2019 |access-date=17 June 2020|website=Jeune Afrique|language=fr}} Moussi joined the Destourian Movement, founded by former Prime Minister Hamed Karoui.{{Cite web|date=1 November 2018|title=Tunisie : ces anciens cadres de l'ère Ben Ali qui ont su rebondir – Jeune Afrique|trans-title=Tunisia: these former executives of the Ben Ali era who knew how to bounce back|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/661094/politique/tunisie-ces-anciens-cadres-de-lere-ben-ali-qui-ont-su-rebondir/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116183508/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/661094/politique/tunisie-ces-anciens-cadres-de-lere-ben-ali-qui-ont-su-rebondir/|archive-date=16 November 2018|website=Jeune Afrique|language=fr}} On 13 August 2016, Moussi was appointed President of the Destourian Movement, renamed the Free Destourian Party. Regularly referred to as an extreme right-wing party,{{Cite web|last=Aidani|first=Khalil|title=La nouvelle extrême-droite tunisienne|trans-title=Tunisia's new far right|url=https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/la-nouvelle-extreme-droite-tunisienne_mg_5c9e59b1e4b00ba6327cb735|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330161446/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/la-nouvelle-extreme-droite-tunisienne_mg_5c9e59b1e4b00ba6327cb735|archive-date=30 March 2019|website=HuffPost Maghreb|language=fr}} the latter brings together sympathisers of the former Democratic Constitutional Rally which dominated the country before the revolution.{{Cite web|title=Tunisie : Hamed Karoui lance une initiative pour rassembler les destouriens|trans-title=Tunisia: Hamed Karoui launches an initiative to bring the Destourians together|url=https://news.gnet.tn/archives/actualites-nationales/tunisie-hamad-karaoui-lance-une-initiative-pour-rassembler-les-destouriens/id-menu-958.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701123157/https://news.gnet.tn/archives/actualites-nationales/tunisie-hamad-karaoui-lance-une-initiative-pour-rassembler-les-destouriens/id-menu-958.html|archive-date=1 July 2019|access-date=|website=GlobalNet News|publisher=|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=Le Mouvement Destourien rebaptisé le Parti Destourien Libre|trans-title=The Destourian Movement renamed the Free Destourian Party|url=https://www.shemsfm.net/fr/actualites_tunisie-news_news-nationales/147706/le-mouvement-destourien-rebaptise-le-parti-destourien-libre-147706|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526190631/https://www.shemsfm.net/fr/actualites_tunisie-news_news-nationales/147706/le-mouvement-destourien-rebaptise-le-parti-destourien-libre-147706|archive-date=26 May 2018|website=Radio SHEMS FM|language=fr}}{{Cite web|last=Delmas|first=Benoît|date=1 August 2019|title=Tunisie : ces favoris de la présidentielle|trans-title=Tunisia: these are the presidential favorites|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/tunisie-avec-98-candidats-un-regain-democratique-autour-de-la-presidentielle-10-08-2019-2329220_3826.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810124319/https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/tunisie-avec-98-candidats-un-regain-democratique-autour-de-la-presidentielle-10-08-2019-2329220_3826.php|archive-date=10 August 2019|website=Le Point|language=fr}} She therefore does not recognize the 2014 Constitution and advocates for the establishment of a presidential system.{{Cite web|last=Dahmani|first=Frida|date=1 July 2019|title=Tunisie – Abir Moussi : " Nous voulons instaurer un régime présidentiel "|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/802357/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-nous-voulons-instaurer-un-regime-presidentiel/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716201936/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/802357/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-nous-voulons-instaurer-un-regime-presidentiel/|archive-date=16 July 2019|access-date=|website=Jeune Afrique|language=fr}}

Moussi has declared herself opposed to the decriminalization of homosexuality.{{Cite web|title=Abir Moussi : l'homosexualité peut affecter le modèle familial tunisien|trans-title=Abir Moussi: Homosexuality can affect the Tunisian family model|url=https://www.businessnews.com.tn/abir-moussi--lhomosexualite-peut-affecter-le-modele-familial-tunisien,520,90902,3|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913215251/https://www.businessnews.com.tn/abir-moussi--lhomosexualite-peut-affecter-le-modele-familial-tunisien,520,90902,3|archive-date=13 September 2019|website=BusinessNews.com.tn|language=fr}} On 16 August 2018, the NGO Association of Help, Homosexual Defense for the Equality of Sexual Orientations (ADHEOS) called for Moussi to be banned from the Schengen Area following homophobic and hate speech, in which she called for the systematic imprisonment of homosexuals, whom she associated with criminals.{{Cite web|title=L'ONG ADHEOS appelle l'Etat français à interdire l'espace Schengen à l'extrémiste tunisienne Abir Moussi – ADHEOS|trans-title=The NGO ADHEOS calls on the French state to ban Tunisian extremist Abir Moussi from the Schengen area – ADHEOS|url=http://www.adheos.org/ong-adheos-appelle-l-etat-francais-a-interdire-l-espace-schengen-a-l-extremiste-tunisienne-abir-moussi|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216010552/http://www.adheos.org/ong-adheos-appelle-l-etat-francais-a-interdire-l-espace-schengen-a-l-extremiste-tunisienne-abir-moussi|archive-date=16 February 2019|website=ADHEOS|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=L'ADHEOS appelle à interdire l'espace Schengen à Abir Moussi|trans-title=ADHEOS calls for Abir Moussi to be banned from the Schengen area|url=https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/ladheos-appelle-a-interdire-lespace-schengen-a-abir-moussi_mg_5b8825c3e4b0162f4720c0a4|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819232250/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/ladheos-appelle-a-interdire-lespace-schengen-a-abir-moussi_mg_5b8825c3e4b0162f4720c0a4|archive-date=19 August 2019|access-date=|website=ADHEOS|language=fr}} The NGO also called on the authorities to take measures to protect the rights of homosexuals in the Schengen area. In March 2019, Moussi declared in an interview with the Pan-African Jeune Afrique magazine "I will not legislate on people's privacy. I will ban anal testing, except for rape and felony".{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/749576/politique/tunisie-abir-moussi-portrait-dune-benaliste-convaincue/|title=Tunisie : Abir Moussi, portrait d'une Benaliste convaincue – Jeune Afrique|date=19 March 2019}}

Although she is in favor of equality between men and women in matters of inheritance, Moussi is opposed to the current government's plan to implement it, arguing that by extending rights to children born out of wedlock, it represents an attack on the institution of the family.{{Cite web|title=Abir Moussi : le principe de l'égalité successorale légitimera les enfants nés hors-mariage|trans-title=Abir Moussi: the principle of equal inheritance will legitimize children born out of wedlock|url=https://www.businessnews.com.tn/abir-moussi--le-principe-de-legalite-successorale-legitimera-les-enfants-nes-hors-mariage,520,82047,3|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823190917/https://www.businessnews.com.tn/abir-moussi--le-principe-de-legalite-successorale-legitimera-les-enfants-nes-hors-mariage,520,82047,3|archive-date=23 August 2018|access-date=|website=BusinessNews.com.tn|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=Selon le PDL, l'égalité dans l'héritage entre l'enfant légitime et l'enfant naturel est une menace à l'institution de la famille|trans-title=According to the Free Destourian Party, equality in inheritance between the legitimate child and the natural child is a threat to the institution of the family.|url=https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/selon-le-pdl-legalite-dans-lheritage-entre-lenfant-legitime-et-lenfant-naturel-est-une-menace-a-linstitution-de-la-famille_mg_5b79a8cae4b018b93e94e6ff|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819210139/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/selon-le-pdl-legalite-dans-lheritage-entre-lenfant-legitime-et-lenfant-naturel-est-une-menace-a-linstitution-de-la-famille_mg_5b79a8cae4b018b93e94e6ff|archive-date=19 August 2018|access-date=|website=HuffPost Maghreb|language=fr}}{{Cite web|last=Boukhayatia|first=Rihab|date=|title=Présidentielles : L'égalité à l'héritage, ligne de clivage symptomatique|trans-title=Presidential: Inheritance equality, a symptomatic dividing line|url=https://nawaat.org/portail/2019/09/07/presidentielles-legalite-a-lheritage-ligne-de-clivage-symptomatique/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014023433/https://nawaat.org/portail/2019/09/07/presidentielles-legalite-a-lheritage-ligne-de-clivage-symptomatique/|archive-date=14 October 2019|access-date=17 June 2020|website=Nawaat|language=fr}} The proposal of the Individual Freedoms and Equality Committee (COLIBE) to introduce this equality while leaving the legatees the choice of using the old system based on the Quran also attracts criticism from the candidate, who sees it as "the door open to customary marriages and discrimination between women themselves".

In June 2020, Moussi sharply criticized speaker of the parliament Rached Ghannouchi and his political party the Ennahda Movement for his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and for spreading Islamist ideology in Tunisia. Moussi claimed that Ghannouchi were trying to divide Tunisians based on religious views and re-write Tunisian history.{{cite web|title=Tunisian MP Abir Moussi Slams MB-Affiliated Parliament Speaker Ghannouchi In Fiery Speech: We Will Not Let You Implement Your Dark Plans; Tunisia Will Remain Modern And Secular|url=https://www.memri.org/tv/tunisian-mp-abir-moussi-slams-speaker-ghannouchi-fiery-speech-muslim-brotherhood-women-free-remove-from-power|date=3 June 2020|accessdate=11 June 2020|language=Arabic|publisher=Middle East Research Institute}}

On 3 October 2023, Moussi was detained after being arrested at the entrance to the Carthage Palace.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-03 |title=Tunisie : arrestation de la cheffe d'un parti d'opposition |trans-title=Tunisia: arrest of the leader of an opposition party |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/tunisie-arrestation-de-la-cheffe-d-un-parti-d-opposition-20231003 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Le Figaro |language=fr}}{{Cite news |last=Amara |first=Tarek |date=2023-10-03 |title=Tunisia detains Abir Moussi, prominent opponent of president |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/tunisian-police-arrest-abir-moussi-prominent-opponent-president-lawyer-2023-10-03/ |access-date=2023-10-04}} On 22 November 2024 she was sentenced on appeal to one year and four months.{{Cite news |date=2024-11-23 |title=En Tunisie, réduction de peine pour l'opposante Abir Moussi |language=fr |agency=Jeune Afrique |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1633803/politique/en-tunisie-reduction-de-peine-pour-lopposante-abir-moussi/ |access-date=2024-11-23}} On 12 June 2025, she was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for criticising the legislative electoral process.{{Cite news |date=13 June 2025 |title=Tunisian opposition politician Abir Moussi sentenced to two years in prison |language=en |agency=Africanews |url=https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/13/tunisian-opposition-politician-abir-moussi-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison/ |access-date=14 June 2025}}

In the 2014 legislative election, Abir Moussi was the president of the electoral liste of the Free Destourian Party in the constituency of Béja, her list got 1.05% (836 votes){{cite web |url=http://www.isie.tn/wp-content/uploads/resultatsfinalsleg/beja.pdf |title=الانتخابات التشريعية 2014: ورقة كشف نتائج دائرة باجة |website=isie.tn |language=ar |date=2014 }} and she failed to enter the parliament.

In the 2019 legislative election she was again candidate, this time she was head of the list of her party in the second constituency, she got 15.8% (26.076 votes) and came in second place just after the Heart of Tunisia list,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tunisienumerique.com/elections-legislatives-resultats-preliminaires-a-la-circonscription-de-tunis-2/|title=Elections législatives- Résultats préliminaires à la circonscription de Tunis 2|first=Laameri|last=Dorsaf|date=8 October 2019|website=Tunisie}} she got elected deputy.{{Cite web|date=1 October 2019|title=Législatives en Tunisie : Ennahdha en tête avec 52 sièges, selon les résultats officiels|trans-title=Legislators in Tunisia: Ennahda in the lead with 52 seats, according to official results|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/841028/politique/legislatives-en-tunisie-ennahdha-en-tete-avec-52-sieges-selon-les-resultats-officiels/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103022559/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/841028/politique/legislatives-en-tunisie-ennahdha-en-tete-avec-52-sieges-selon-les-resultats-officiels/|archive-date=3 January 2020|access-date=|website=Jeune Afrique|language=fr}}

Abir Moussi was the candidate of her party to the 2019 presidential election where she got 4% of the votes (135,461 votes) and came in 9th place and therefore eliminated since the first round.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leconomistemaghrebin.com/2019/09/16/isie-resultats-preliminaires-presidentielle-2019/|title=ISIE: résultats préliminaires de l'élection présidentielle 2019|first=Nadia|last=Dejoui|date=16 September 2019}} She was the woman who got the most votes in a presidential elections in Tunisia's history. Abir Moussi is a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/tunisie/en-tunisie-l-opposante-abir-moussi-emprisonnee-depuis-l-automne-2023-depose-sa-candidature-a-la-presidentielle-par-l-intermediaire-de-ses-avocats_6704598.html|title=En Tunisie, l'opposante Abir Moussi, emprisonnée depuis l'automne 2023, dépose sa candidature à la présidentielle|work=FranceTV Info|agency=AFP|date=3 August 2024}}

She is married and has two daughters.

• 40px Order of the Republic.

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Category:People from Monastir Governorate

Category:1975 births

Category:Tunisian women lawyers

Category:Living people

Category:Carthage University alumni

Category:Members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People

Category:21st-century Tunisian lawyers

Category:Candidates for President of Tunisia

Category:21st-century Tunisian women politicians

Category:21st-century Tunisian politicians

Category:21st-century women lawyers