Tunisia: three deputies critical of President Kaïs Saïed arrested

Overview of the Tunisian Assembly in session on December 2, 2014 in Tunis (illustrative image).

REUTERS / Zoubeir Souissi

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Since Sunday and the extraordinary measures taken by President Kaïs Saïed, the country has been waiting, in particular for a new Prime Minister.

Among the other measures taken, the freezing of the National Assembly as well as the lifting of the immunity of deputies.

And this week several arrests of deputies took place.

Publicity

Read more

With our special

correspondent

in Tunis,

Charlotte Cosset

Two deputies of the Islamo-nationalist movement Al Karama, an ally of the

Ennahdha

party

, have been arrested, the leader of their party announced on Sunday.

Maher Zid and Mohamed Affes are in pre-trial detention as part of a " 

military justice investigation

 ", the leader of this political formation explained on Facebook.

Earlier in the week, independent MP Yassine Ayari was also arrested. 

They all three have in common to have denounced the measures taken last Sunday by President

Saïed

, which they consider to be a " 

coup

 ". They also all have in common that they are prosecuted or have already been convicted in different cases. The first two in the so-called airport affair. Last March, they intervened to support a woman with a file S - “suspected of terrorism” - and therefore banned from traveling. The third has been prosecuted on several occasions, notably for " 

defamation and contempt of the military institution

 ".

Human Rights Watch this week exposed its fears that "

 President Saïed risks using his extraordinary powers against his opponents

.

 "

 The presidency is reassuring.

Kaïs Saïed said on Friday that there is " 

no fear

 " to be had

regarding freedoms and rights in Tunisia

.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Tunisia