On June 12, the Tunisian government issued a statement ordering all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to declare all funds they receive from abroad and threatened to prosecute any party that failed to comply. The move, unprecedented since the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, has sparked controversy in the local civil society sector.

Some in this sector saw it as within the scope of the anti-corruption campaign announced by the government on May 23, while others saw it as an attempt by the executive branch to control civil society.

In its statement, the government called on NGOs to disclose "all foreign funds they receive and explain their source, value and purpose in a media outlet within a month of the date of the statement, in accordance with the provisions of Article 41 of Decree No. 88 on the organization of NGOs issued in 2011."

It also called on NGOs to apply Article 44 of the same decree, which states, “Each association benefiting from public funds shall provide an annual report to the Accounts Department including a comprehensive detailed description of its funding sources and expenditures.”