clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Tunisia judge releases 4 Ennahda Movement members

July 31, 2021 at 3:35 pm

Supporters of Ennahda Movement rally to demand the end of political crisis in the country as the cabinet revision issue between President of Tunisia, Kais Saied and Prime Minister Prime Minister of Tunisia, Hichem Mechichi continues in Tunis, Tunisia, on February 27, 2021 [Nacer Talel – Anadolu Agency]

A Tunisian judicial source has revealed that four people affiliated with the Ennahda Movement were released on Friday after being summoned by an examining magistrate on charges of “attempting to carry out acts of violence in front of Parliament” on Monday and Tuesday.

A source at the Court of First Instance in Tunis told Anadolu Agency that four Ennahda Movement affiliates had been referred to investigation at Tunis Court 2 (west of the capital) on Tuesday. The affiliated people included a member of the movement’s Shura Council and the driver of movement President Rached Ghannouchi, who also serves as chair of Tunisian Parliament, which was recently frozen following a decision by President Kais Saied.

The source added that the judiciary decided to refer the members for investigation and detain them after the security forces: “Received a complaint that the four individuals attempted to carry out acts of violence in front of Parliament, by assigning other people to do so, on Monday and Tuesday, 26 and 27 July.”

READ: Tunisia MP arrested for accusing president of ‘coup’

The source indicated that the examining magistrate released the four people on Friday, without providing further details.

The Tunisian authorities and the Ennahda Movement have not yet commented on the matter.

Following an emergency meeting with military and security leaders, President Saied announced on Sunday evening the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, stating that he would personally assume the executive authority with the help of a head of government of his choice. He also announced freezing the activities of Parliament for 30 days, lifting the immunity of MPs and heading the Public Prosecution.

Saied said that he took these exceptional measures to “save the Tunisian state,” but the majority of parties rejected these presidential resolutions and considered them a “coup and a violation of the constitution.” Meanwhile, others referred to the recent decisions as a “correction of the path” of the revolution.