Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the opposition Ennahda party, arrested

With our correspondent in Tunis, Amira Souilem

Rached Ghannouchi was arrested at his home, breaking his fast on Monday evening. His house was searched and the political leader taken to the National Guard’s anti-terrorist brigade without any arrest being presented to him, according to the version given by his party. This therefore evokes a removal and not an arrest. In a statement, he calls for his “ immediate release “.

In recent months, the political leader had been summoned on numerous occasions by the courts, who suspected him of being linked to terrorism cases, money laundering or attempts to destabilize the current regime. He had appeared in February at the counter-terrorism judicial center following a complaint accusing him of having treated the police of “ tyrants “. The opponent had also been heard in November 2022 by a judge from the counter-terrorism judicial center for a case related to the alleged dispatch of jihadists to Syria and Iraq. In July of the same year, he was also questioned on suspicion of corruption and money laundering linked to the transfer of funds from abroad to a charity organization affiliated with Ennahdha.

Twenty opponents arrested

Aged 81, Rached Ghannouchi, former president of the Tunisian Assembly before it was frozen by President Kaïs Saïed, is in turn experiencing the same fate as twenty opponents arrested since last February. These arrests, including former ministers, businessmen and the boss of Mosaïque FM, have been denounced by local and international NGOs.

This arrest took place in the middle of the so-called “destiny” night, the most sacred night of Ramadan. A timing which aroused the indignation of certain members of the Islamist party Ennahdha, who sees in this arrest a way, for the power, to create a diversion while the country is going through a serious economic crisis.

(And with AFP)

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