Tunisia: protesters demand release of ex-prime minister

Dozens of Tunisians protested on Friday to demand the release the former prime minister and vice-president of Ennahda Movement, Ali Laarayedh, four days after a judicial decision was issued to imprison him.

The protest was organised by Ennahda Movement in front of the Palace of Justice in the capital, Tunis, under the slogan “Release Laarayedh.” Several of the movement’s leaders, lawyers and jurists took part in the protest.

The protesters chanted slogans such as “Down with the coup,” “freedom, freedom, the police state has died,” and “No to unfair trials.”

In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Riadh Chaibi, the advisor of Ennahda’s president, said: “The goal of our protest today in front of the Palace of Justice is to send a message that targeting the movement’s leaders will not frighten them or prevent them from continuing the struggle to overthrow the coup and restore the democratic path.”

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“The decision to imprison Ali Laarayedh is unjust, and what is happening is a political measure to distract Tunisian public opinion from the failure of the early legislative elections and the worsening economic and social crisis,” Chaibi added.

Early legislative elections took place on 17 December, and the turnout ratio in its first round was 11.22 per cent out of 9.2 million voters, according to the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE).

The election campaign for the second round is supposed to start on 20 January 2023.

In the same context, a movement official, Amer Larayedh, told Anadolu that “the protest comes after the interference by the executive authority and pressuring of the judiciary to the extent that the judiciary has become a subordinate that implements the recommendations of the Minister of Justice.”

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He continued, “The judiciary must be independent and uncontrolled by President Kais Saied, and judges must be subject to the law and their conscience only; we are committed to the supremacy of the law and the independence of the judiciary.”

On Tuesday, Ennahda announced that a decision to imprison Laarayedh was issued, and this decision is related to the case of ” transporting Tunisians to hotbeds of tension outside the country.”

This case’s investigations began after a complaint submitted by former MP Fatima Al-Masdi (Nidaa Tounes) in December 2021.

The investigations into the case include several leaders of the Ennahda Movement, including its president Rachid Ghannouchi and Habib Ellouze.

Larayedh served as the Minister of Interior from December 2011 to March 2013 during the coalition government between the Ennahda Movement, the Congress for the Republic (CPR) and the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties (FDTL). He also served as Prime Minister from March 2013 to January 2014.

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