Tunisian party decries jail sentence for country's ex-president

Tunisian party decries jail sentence for country's ex-president

Court issued 'unfair political' verdict against former President Moncef Marzouki, Workers' Party says in statement

By Alaa Hammoudi

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia's Workers' Party has condemned a recent jail sentence for a former president of the North African nation, describing the verdict as an "unfair political ruling."

"We condemn this ruling … and we consider the ruling issued as a political ruling dictated by the Carthage (Presidential) Palace," the party said in a statement late on Thursday, a day after Moncef Marzouki, 76, was sentenced in absentia to four years in prison on charges of "attacking external state security."

It accused authorities of using state agencies to eliminate political opponents, as well as to "fabricate cases and track activists instead of opening the pending files that the Tunisian people are waiting for their liberation."

Last month, Tunisian authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Marzouki over his criticism of holding the International Francophonie Summit in Tunisia on Oct. 15.

Speaking on France 24's Arabic channel, Marzouki said he tried to prevent the summit from being held in Tunisia as he believed it would support a recent "coup" in the country, referring to a decision on July 25 by incumbent President Kais Saied to oust the government, suspend parliament, and assume executive authority.

Marzouki, who was president from 2011 to 2014, also accused Saied of dividing Tunisians. In response, the president threatened to withdraw diplomatic passports from everyone who solicits outside support to "hit" Tunisian interests.

Saied, who began a five-year term in 2019, rejects accusations that he suspended the work of the Constitution, arguing that he took "exceptional measure" within the framework of the Constitution to protect the state from "imminent danger." Critics, meanwhile, have accused him of orchestrating a coup.


* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat

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