Tunisia arrests essentially the most distinguished opponents of President Kais Mentioned
On Monday, Tunisian police arrested distinguished critics of President Kais Saied and the pinnacle of a radio station that broadcast criticism of the president, as a part of a wave of arrests focusing on politicians and different critics of the federal government.
Samir Dilou, his lawyer, stated police raided the house of Noureddine Behairy, a senior official in Ennahda, the most important opposition celebration and a distinguished critic of Saied, and took him away.
“The police stormed the home of Noureddine Behairy, assaulted his spouse and arrested him,” Dilo advised Reuters.
Authorities additionally raided the house of Mosaique FM head Noureddine Boutar, whose radio station often aired criticism of Mentioned, and arrested him after a search of his residence, in accordance with his lawyer, Dalila Ben Mubarak.
Legal professionals and opposition activists stated that police additionally detained the political activist and lawyer Lazhar al-Akrami.
Since Saturday, police have arrested a number of figures who’ve expressed opposition to Saeed or sought to mobilize protests towards him.
They included a distinguished enterprise chief with shut ties throughout the political spectrum, a former finance minister, one other former senior Ennahda official, two judges, and a former diplomat.
Legal professionals stated they had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting state safety.
Neither the police, the Ministry of Inside, nor the Prime Minister’s Workplace have publicly commented on the arrests or responded to requests for remark.
The Islamist Ennahda Celebration denounced the “kidnapping of Saied’s opponents”.
“The coup authority’s growth in harassing opposition figures, journalists, businessmen and commerce unionists is proof of confusion and incapacity to face crises,” it stated in an announcement.
Saied abruptly closed parliament, sacked the federal government, and moved to energy by decree in July 2021 earlier than redrafting the structure, which is what his critics referred to as for the coup that tore aside the democracy established after the 2011 revolution.
Saied denied {that a} coup had taken place, saying his strikes had been authorized and vital to save lots of Tunisia from chaos.
Though some politicians have been arrested since Saied seized sweeping powers, there was no main crackdown on dissent.
Al-Buhairi was detained for 2 months final 12 months, accused of serving to Islamist militants journey to Syria in the course of the Islamic State disaster final decade, accusations he and Ennahda denied.
State tv has largely stopped airing interviews with critics of the president.
(Reuters)
