Tunisia’s Ennahda condemns systematic abuse of critics amid political crisis

By Yusra Ounas

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – Tunisia’s Ennahda movement on Tuesday condemned what it called the systematic abuse of critics in the North African country amid a months-long political crisis.

Tunisian security forces on Monday detained Ennahda leader and former Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri and director of Mosaique Radio Noureddine Boutar.

Ennahda “strongly condemns the abductions and the systematic abuse of critics of Kais Saied’s coup and every free media voice…and demands the release of all those detained outside the framework of the law,” the movement said in a statement.

It said that the expansion of harassment of opposition figures “is evidence of the lack of direction and inability to confront the crises created by the coup.”

There was no comment from the Tunisian authorities on Ennahda’s statement.

On Saturday, Tunisian authorities rounded up former Ennahda leader Abdelhamid Jelassi upon suspicions of conspiring against state security.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's economy since 2021, when President Saied ousted the government and dissolved parliament.

Since then, Saied held a referendum to draft a new Constitution last July and parliamentary elections last December.

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

* Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report