‘We will confront any political manoeuvring targeting martyr file’, says Tunisia Lawyer Farhani

The Association of Families of Martyrs and Wounded of the Awfiya Revolution (Awfiya) announced on Friday that it would confront: “Any political manoeuvring targeting the file of the martyrs and wounded of the revolution that toppled the regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.”

This came in a speech by the head of Awfiya, lawyer Lamia Farhani, during a press conference in the capital commemorating the 12th anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution.

“We will resist any initiative that restores the old regime and any political manoeuvre that may target the file of the martyrs and wounded of the revolution,” Farhani declared.

She added that their goal is to: “Attain the will of the martyrs of the Tunisian Revolution, preserve the trust and achieve the goals for which the martyrs of the revolution died. The file of the martyrs and wounded of the revolution is greater than just trials and obtaining benefits.”

The Awfiya organisation indicated in a statement distributed to journalists: “The course of 25 July represents a coup against the revolution because Tunisian President Kais Saied monopolised the interpretation of the goals of the revolution in an individual way.”

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Farhani also confirmed: “Saied reduced the file of the martyrs to a mean compensatory course that equates between the executioner and the victim, and he issued repressive decrees that restrict the freedom of expression and journalistic work and consolidate the individual rule.”

The Tunisian authorities did not issue an official comment regarding Farhani’s statements until 13:20 GMT, as the Tunisian presidency usually denies these accusations.

On 14 January, Tunisia commemorates the 12th anniversary of its revolution, which began on 17 December, 2010, in the governorate of Sidi Bouzid and then extended westward to the governorate of Kasserine before spreading throughout the country. It resulted in the fall of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime on 14 January, 2011.

Since 25 July, 2021, Tunisia has been witnessing a severe political crisis when Saied imposed exceptional measures, including dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council and Parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, approval of a new Constitution through a referendum in July 2022, and holding early legislative elections last December.

The majority of political and civil forces in Tunisia reject these measures and consider them a “coup against the Constitution,” while other forces support them as “a correction of the course of the 2011 revolution,” which toppled the rule of President Ben Ali.

While Saied, who began a five-year presidential term in 2019, believes his measures are “necessary and legal” to save the state from “total collapse”.

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