Tunisia: Ghannouchi's lawyers say terrorism case against him is 'empty'

Rached Ghannouchi, head of Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party, in Sfax on 5 June 2022 [HOUSSEM ZOUARI/AFP/Getty Images]

The Public Prosecution Office in Tunisia decided not to detain the Speaker of the dissolved Parliament Rached Ghannouchi in connection with suspicions of sending jihadists to Syria.

Ghannouchi was questioned for more than 16 hours, before it was decided that he should be presented to the Anti-Terrorism Judicial Pole later today.

In a statement to Arabi 21, Samir Dilou, Rashed Ghannouchi’s lawyer, said: “We spent many hours looking at all the records in which Ghannouchi’s name was mentioned,” and added that the “file is empty”.

Dozens of those who were arrested in the case are set to be interrogated today. They include Ghannouchi, leaders of the Ennahda movement Ali Laareyedh and Al-Habib Al-Louz, and security officials Fathi Al-Baladi and Abdel Karim Al-Obeidi among others.

READ: Rights activists slam Tunisia plans to jail people spreading ‘false news’

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