Tunisia issues travel ban on Ennahda leader

By Yosra Ounas

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Judicial authorities in Tunisia on Saturday barred the leader of the Ennahda movement, Rached Ghannouchi, and 33 other people from traveling in connection with the 2013 assassination of two opposition figures.

Fatima Bouqtaya, a spokeswoman for the court in the Tunis suburb of Ariana, said the ban was issued against 34 people, including Ghannouchi, over several charges that include obtaining national security secrets.

The spokeswoman said the suspects were not yet notified of the travel ban.

There was no comment from Ghannouchi, the speaker of the dissolved parliament, on the report.

On Friday, the Ennahda movement denied reports about a travel ban against Ghannouchi.

Local media said that the travel ban was issued over the 2013 assassination of opposition figures Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi.

Belaid was shot dead outside his house on Feb. 6, 2013, triggering a political crisis in the North African country. Brahmi was assassinated that July 25.

Ennahda vehemently denies any link to the assassinations.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since July 2021 when President Kais Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority. He later dissolved the parliament in March after lawmakers held a session to revoke his measures.

While Saied insists that his "exceptional measures" were meant to "save" the country, critics have accused him of orchestrating a coup.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara