8 Arab figures call for Ghannouchi’s release

Eight prominent Arab national figures have called for the release of the President of the Ennahda Movement, Rached Ghannouchi, the Secretary-General of the Republican Party, Issam Chebbi, and other detained political figures in Tunisia.

“Out of our concern for Tunisia that preserves a historic commitment to the issues of its nation, we call for the immediate release of all political detainees and the initiation of an inclusive Tunisian dialogue that puts the country on the path of resolving all its problems,” the figures said in a statement.

“At a time when our Arab world is experiencing breakthroughs, victories and reconciliations when the harsh conflict pages that have cost our people dearly are being closed, we denounce the Tunisian authorities’ arrest of prominent leaders, including Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, the president of the Ennahda Movement, Professor Issam Chebbi, the secretary-general of the Republican Party, and a number of opposition political and partisan figures,” they added.

“Tunisia, like all our Arab countries, needs a comprehensive and honest internal dialogue on various contentious issues to find solutions to all the political, economic, and social problems facing these countries.”

The eight figures included: Bashar Merhej, acting head of the Board of Trustees of Al-Quds International Foundation, the Secretary-General of the Arab National Conference, Hamdeen Sabahi (Egypt), the General Coordinator of the National-Islamic Conference, Khaled Al-Sufiyani (Morocco), the former Secretary-General of the Arab National Conference, Ziad Hafez, the former Secretary-General of the Arab National Conference, Abdelkader Guoga, the former Secretary-General of the Arab National Conference, Magdy Al-Masrawi, the former Secretary-General of the Arab National Conference, Maan Bashour, and the former General Coordinator of the National-Islamic Conference, Munir Shafiq (Palestine).

On 17 April, Ennahda announced that a security squad stormed Ghannouchi’s home, and took him to an unknown destination. He was later interrogated without his lawyer president.

Later, the security forces stormed Ennahda’s headquarters following a press conference by the party regarding the arrest of Ghannouchi. The forces closed the headquarters and banned meetings from taking place there in the future.

Ghannouchi has opposed the exceptional measures imposed by President Kais Saied on 25 July 2021, including dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council and Parliament.

Since 11 February, Tunisian authorities have carried out an arrest campaign targeting opposition leaders and activists who consider the exceptional measures a “coup against the revolution’s constitution and a consolidation of absolute individual rule.”

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