The head of Tunisia’s Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, appeared Tuesday (Feb. 21) before the Tunis’ anti-terrorism court.
His hearing comes amid a series of arrests of high-profile figures.
Ghannouchi as well as the chief of Tunisia’s main opposition coalition slammed an “instrumentalization of justice”
“It is a political targeting against the opposition, made up of unproven and baseless cases. It will not solve the country’s economic problems, debt, and the real problems,” Rached Ghannouchi told the press upon arriving at the anti-terrorism court.
“It is a short-sighted policy in the face of economic and social failures and the government’s international political isolation,” the leader of the National Salvation Front doubled down.
“He (President Kais Saied) is trying to break the opposition, to break the trade union movement, to break the civil society movement. He (will) achieve nothing.”
Following the hearing session, the judge ordered the release of the 81-year-old. His supporters chanted slogans and held placards which read: “You are not alone”.
Ghannouchi had already been questioned in November 2022 by a judge of the anti-terrorist judicial division for a case linked to the alleged sending of jihadists to Syria and Iraq.
The former speaker is also due to be questioned on Thursday (Feb. 23) after another complaint from a policeman claiming to be in possession of a compromising telephone recording of Ghannouchi, Ennahdha said.
