President Marzouki banned from entering local radio station

The Al-Irada Movement has denounced the recent treatment of former Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, as a ‘”a serious indication of the authorities’ negligence in front of militias which protect tyranny and corruption, that moved in front of everyone to disrupt the movement of the former president without interference from the security forces”.

Marzouki’s motorcade was intercepted and he was then prevented from entering the headquarters of Ribat FM in the coastal city of Monastir, despite coordinating the visit in advance.

The movement said that it considered the treatment of its former leader, “serious aggressive behavior of a  hired gang” and the statement called for an immediate investigation. The movement also announced its intention to take legal action against them.

The statement said that after “the party held a successful public meeting in the towns of Sayada, Lemta and Buhajar in Monastir governorate, a group of mercenaries, who did not represent the people of Monastir, prevented President Marzouki from entering the headquarters of Ribat Radio in Monastir, where he would hold a long press interview with one of its presenters, in light of the weak presence of local security, despite prior knowledge of the detailed program of the visit.”

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The statement did not name the body responsible, while the Tunisian official news agency said that “a group of citizens gathered Sunday morning in front of Ribat FM Radio in the city of Monastir in order to prevent the head of al-Irada Movement Moncef Marzouki from entering the headquarters of the radio for a press interview.”

Leading figure in Ennahdha movement and former health minister Abdellatif Mekki criticized preventing the former Tunisian President Dr. Moncef Marzouki from entering the Ribat FM radio headquarters, saying: “Whether I agree or disagree with the former President Dr. Marzouki, is not a matter; this is another issue, but what happened to him yesterday is rejected by all constitutional, political, and moral standards.”

Mekki wondered ” about the future of freedom and democracy if every time a group of citizens is formed to prevent him from accessing the media, and then  if today it is Dr. Marzouki, tomorrow it will happen  to  anyone who does not please them.”

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Mekki said that the ban was carried out by parties that have not yet appreciated the revolution and its gains. He said: “The battle of some with the gains of the revolution to reduce or eliminate them is, in God’s will, as hopeless  as the battle of Don Quixote with the mills.”

Al-Irada Movement is a Tunisian political party founded by former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on December 20, 2015.

The Movement, which has four deputies in parliament, is the result of the transformation of the people’s mobilization into a political party, and the integration of the Congress for the Republic Party.

Moncef Marzouki, who is the founder and president of the party, is the former president of Tunisia, and a former fighter against the rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.