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Lawyer: Family of jailed Tunisia MP files complaint with UK against President

March 23, 2023 at 10:02 pm

People gather around Municipality Theatre during a demonstration to protest against “political detention and arrest” decisions of President Kais Saied [Yassine Gaidi – Anadolu Agency]

The family of jailed Tunisian parliamentarian and Ennhada Movement leader, Said Ferjani, has filed a legal appeal, calling on the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on Tunisian officials, including President Kais Saied, for gross human rights violations, family lawyer, Saber Al-Obeidi, said.

The appeal was filed under the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020.

The case also includes Tunisia’s Justice Minister, Leïla Jaffel, and former Interior Minister, Taoufik Charfeddine.

Al-Diwan FM radio quoted Al-Obeidi as stressing that the aim of internationalising the case is to put pressure on the Tunisian Judiciary to stop the violations against his client, as well as due to the lack of fair trial guarantees in Tunisia.

He added that resorting to international courts is similar to Tunisia’s resorting to the World Bank.

Al-Obeidi considered that the imprisonment order issued against his client was defective and unjustified, calling on the Judiciary to apply the Code of Criminal Procedures without mixing politics with the Judiciary.

Ferjani has been arrested since 27 February and, on 1st March, the investigating judge of the Sousse 2 Court issued a prison deposition card in relation to the “Anstalingo” case.

Al-Ferjani’s arrest came as part of a campaign of arrests that began on 11 February, and included politicians, judges, lawyers, businessmen, media professionals, trade unionists and others.

READ: UK asked to impose sanctions on Tunisia officials