Bangladesh, Aug. 30 -- Tunisia, once celebrated as the sole success story of the Arab Spring, is now facing mounting alarm from civil society groups as the government dismantles key institutions of transparency and oversight. The latest casualty in this democratic rollback is the covert closure of the Access to Information Authority (INAI), an independent body created to safeguard citizens right to information. The move has sparked outrage among activists, journalists, and democracy advocates, who warn that Tunisia is sliding back into authoritarian practices that threaten the countrys fragile post-revolution gains.

The closure of INAI was never officially announced. Instead, its offices were quietly shuttered earlier this year, leaving ...