Tunisia military court probes ex-head of bar association

The Investigative Judge at the Military Court in Tunis yesterday launched an investigation into the former head of the National Bar Association Abderrazak Kilani over an argument he had with two security forces in early January.

Tunisia’s Mosaique FM radio reported that Kilani appeared before the military court to investigate the charges brought against him during his attempt to visit his client, a member of Ennahda movement and parliament member Noureddine Bhiri, in Bizerte Hospital in the north of the country.

According to the radio channel, Kilani faces charges of “joining a group that disturbs public stability in order to interfere with the implementation of law.”

During the court’s session, Kilani was accompanied by a large number of lawyers, including former heads of the bar association as well as the current head of the regional branch in Tunisia.

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Kilani told reporters that his trial comes against the background of a discussion that took place between him and security forces who were present on 2 January in front of the hospital where his client, Noureddine Bhiri, was after his arrest on 31 December 2021.

On 21 January, Tunisian security forces arrested Kilani and took him to the military court for trial, over previous statements that were considered an incitement against President, Kais Saied and Minister of Interior Taoufik Charfeddine.

Tunisia has recently witnessed widespread criticism and an escalating human rights debate against the backdrop of military trials of civilians accused of insulting the President of the Republic through posts on social media.