Al-Ghannouchi defends Tunisian president's call for Morsi's release

Head of Tunisia’s Islamist movement Al-Nahda Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghannouchi has described ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi as a “legitimate president removed by violent military power”.

Speaking to the Algerian newspaper Al-Balad, Al-Ghannouchi affirmed that the Tunisian president Moncif Al-Marzouqi has done the least he can do by protesting against the Egyptian military’s forceful removal of an elected president.

He added that the removal of Egypt’s elected president was “a severe violation against constitutional legitimacy”.

Al-Ghannouchi also condemned the military’s crackdown on the peaceful anti-coup protesters in Egypt. “Absolutely, this is not acceptable,” he said.

He added that, “such measures and behaviours mount to violations of the people’s rights, including the right to peaceful democratic action.”