Tunisia probes prominent academic

Tunisian authorities yesterday announced that they would launch an investigation into prominent philosopher and academic, Mohamed Habib Marzouki, for “defaming the incumbent president.”

“I’m confident that Tunisian men and women would never accept harming the dignity of our citizens and homeland,” Marzouki said on Twitter. “Our sons will rise from Tunisia’s predicament stronger than ever,” he stressed.

He hailed all who backed his stance against the regime, adding that “expressing an opinion has become a crime in Tunisia.”

“Neither am I the owner of a political party, nor do I lead a militia like him, I’m a free citizen who only worships god,” he said, referring to the incumbent Tunisian President, Kais Saied.

Marzouki, a Tunisian philosopher, was born in Bizerte in 1947 and holds a degree in philosophy from the Sorbonne University. He gained a PhD in Arab and Greek philosophy in 1991.

Saied has held nearly total power since 25 July when he sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority citing a national emergency.

He appointed a prime minister on 29 September and a government has since been formed. In December, Saied announced that a referendum will be held on 25 July to consider ‘constitutional reforms’ and elections would follow in December 2022.

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