The spokesman for the Public Prosecution Office in Tunisia, Mohsen Al-Dali, said that the Public Prosecution had taken decisions to ban travel against a number of officials in the previous government, and made it clear in a statement to a local radio that the list of officials concerned with the travel ban would be issued later.

The Ministry of Interior also placed a prominent leader of the Ennahda party and former minister Anwar Maarouf under house arrest, "without justifying the reasons," according to a statement by the movement.

In its statement, the movement expressed its rejection of placing known judges, activists and politicians under house arrest, considering that this procedure is "illegal", while Al-Dali explained that decisions related to house arrest are administrative decisions taken by the Ministry of Interior, in accordance with the emergency law.

The movement said, "Dr. Anwar Maarouf, the former minister and leader of the Ennahda movement, was informed by security forces that he had been placed under house arrest without providing him with a written copy of a reasoned decision issued by the Minister of Interior."

A call to lift exceptional measures

The movement affirmed its solidarity with Anwar Maarouf and with all victims of such measures, and its rejection of all "arbitrary decisions that touched rights and freedoms, including the right of movement, travel and freedom of expression."

Al-Nahda movement announced that it "directed its legal office to appeal before the Administrative Court this decision, as it was an arbitrary decision that did not respect legal procedures."

She called on the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, to lift the measures that violate the provisions of the constitution, law and international covenants, she said. She also called on all "democratic and human rights forces to unite efforts to put an end to the systematic campaign that has become affecting increasing sectors of Tunisians."

Maarouf served as Minister of Communication Technology from 2016 to 2020. He is a prominent figure in Ennahda Movement.

This week, the president dismissed Minister of Communication Technology Fadel Karim.

He said that he "would not accept that the ministry be a venue for parties that want to control a database of Tunisians or gain access to their private data."

The authorities arrested two parliamentarians and opened investigations against others, including in connection with old memos that were applied after the president lifted parliamentary immunity.

In the same context, Ennahda denied signing any contract with institutions outside Tunisia to polish its image or receive funds from any external party, and stressed that it is subject to the procedures of Tunisian law and that its accounts and contracts are monitored by the Court of Accounts.

Ennahda's denial came in light of accusations circulating that the movement received foreign financial support during the last election campaign, and demands for judicial follow-up.

Earlier today, local media reported that the Ennahda movement had signed a contract with an advertising company in the United States to beautify its image abroad, last July, for $30,000.


dismissals and exemptions

And since last July 25, a campaign of dismissals and exemptions has continued, affecting a number of ministers in the government of Hisham al-Mashishi, who was dismissed, and prominent officials, most notably Defense Minister Ibrahim al-Bartajy and Acting Minister of Justice Hasna bin Suleiman, in addition to placing a number of former officials under house arrest.

In the same context, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the Tunisian president issued an order assigning Ali Merabet to run the Ministry of Health to succeed Mohamed Trabelsi.

Yesterday, Saeed completed the duties of 3 governors, bringing the number of those who were included in the presidential dismissals since July 25 to 33 officials.

More than a week ago, Saeed decided to dismiss Al-Mashishi, and he took over the executive authority and headed the Public Prosecution Office, and froze the powers of Parliament for a period of 30 days, and lifted the immunity of MPs.

Said says that his exceptional measures are based on Article 80 of the constitution, and aim to "save the Tunisian state", in light of popular protests against the political, economic and health crises (Corona).

But the majority of parties rejected these measures, and some considered them a "coup against the constitution", while others supported them, and saw them as a "correction of course."


new stabbing

Earlier, the deputy of the "Heart of Tunisia" party, Jawhar Al-Mughairbi, announced, on Friday, the appeal against the decisions of President Kais Saied before the administrative court.

Al-Mughairbi said, in a post he posted on his Facebook page, "Out of my belief in the supremacy of the law and the constitution in our country (...) I went today to the administrative judiciary to say its supreme word to adjudicate the illegal decisions taken by the President of the Republic" on 25 July last.

Al-Mughairbi added that "the appeal includes, in particular, decisions that have a direct impact on my legal position as an elected people's representative, and on the status of the legislative institution (Parliament) and its members."

He stressed that he resorted to the administrative judicial authority, "as the competent authority to consider the legitimacy of decisions issued by the head of state, as the supreme administrative authority."

On July 29, the Tunisian journalist, Ziad El-Hani, filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the president, accusing him of exceeding authority, but the court has not yet issued a ruling regarding this case.


mounting pressure

Meanwhile, Tunisian civil society organizations, in a joint statement, called on Tunisian President Kais Saied to develop a plan of action according to a clear and specific agenda in time and in a participatory manner with civil forces.

She stressed the need to respect the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary, and stressed the need to form a government as soon as possible in which efficiency and equity are respected.

The statement was signed by the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, the Association of Tunisian Judges, the Tunisian Association of Young Lawyers, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women and other organizations.

In turn, the Tunisian General Labor Union, as well as the United States and France, called on President Kais Saied to expedite the appointment of a new government.

The labor union is preparing a road map to end the crisis, and says it will present it to Saeed at an unspecified time.

On Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the Tunisian Labor Union, Noureddine Tabboubi, warned of the dangers of a government vacuum and disruption of government institutions in the country, stressing keenness on the approach of dialogue with all parties.

Commenting on these calls, the Tunisian president said that there is no turning back and no dialogue except with those he described as "honest", in reference to his refusal to dialogue with his opponents who criticized his decisions to control the executive authority and freeze parliament, and some described it as a coup.

Saeed's statement also comes after Ennahda's Shura Council called, yesterday, Thursday, to launch a national dialogue to move forward with political and economic reforms and end the suspension of Parliament's competencies, with the movement carrying out the necessary reviews and renewing its programs.