Tunisia security storm Al Jazeera office, expel journalists

Tunisian security forces have stormed the offices of Al Jazeera and expelled its staff, the media group announced on social media.

عاجل | مدير مكتب #الجزيرة: قوات الأمن التونسية تقتحم مكتبنا وتخرج جميع الزملاء الصحفيين منه

— الجزيرة – عاجل (@AJABreaking) July 26, 2021

“Security forces involved in the raid said they were carrying out instructions and asked all journalists to leave,” it added on its website.

The move comes one day after President Kais Saied sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and parliament and assumed executive authority of the government.

This morning, the army prevented Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering Parliament.

“I am the speaker of the parliament and we are elected MPs,” agencies reported him saying. “We are being prevented from practicing our legislative authority.”

He added: “We are shocked that the army is being used for this job – closing the gate of democracy. The Tunisian people refuse to return to autocracy and authoritarianism.”

This is a developing story and more information will be added as we receive it.