Controversy as Tunisia grant diplomatic passport to interior minister’s son 

Granting the son of Tunisia’s minister of the interior a diplomatic passport violates the law, opposition groups have said.

This comes after photos were published of Kais Charfeddine showing his diplomatic passport, which officials say he is entitled to as the son of minister Taoufik Charfeddine.

In response, the leader of the Democratic Current Party, Hichem Ajbouni, said: “A diplomatic passport was granted by the minister of interior to his son, this is normal and happens in all banana republics. The amendment will be made in the next copy of the Official Gazette.”

Samir Ben Amor, head of the political body of the Congress for the Republic Party, highlighted that President Kais Saied had withdrawn former President Moncef Marzouki’s diplomatic passport but granted one to the son of the minister of the interior.

Abdelwahab Hani, the head of the Al-Majd Party, said: “There are mass violations, favouritism and taking advantage of the state’s capabilities in favour of the spoiled son of the spoiled minister under the absolute exceptional measures.”

Hours later, the son of the minister of interior responded to the criticism by affirming that he legally obtained the diplomatic passport.

Tunisian Minister of State Property and Land Affairs Hatem al-Ashi published a “clarification” on the mechanism for granting a diplomatic passport. Where he stressed that “any person who is appointed as a minister, all members of his nuclear family (his wife and children) have the right to obtain a diplomatic passport for each of them in their capacity as the minister’s wife and children.”

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