The Ennahda Movement condemned the arrest of the head of the "Dignity Coalition" bloc in the Tunisian parliament, Seif El-Din Makhlouf, while he was arriving at the military court for interrogation in the so-called "airport case", and saw this as a decline in the level of human rights in the country.

In a statement published yesterday, Friday, the Ennahda movement (53 seats out of a total of 217 seats in Parliament) condemned what it described as "the humiliating and violating legal procedures" in which Makhlouf was arrested.

It also denounced what it said were practices that indicate a setback in respect for human rights, and called for an end to these practices.

Ennahda expressed its solidarity with MP Seif El-Din Makhlouf, and all victims of arbitrary arrests, house arrest, travel bans, and trials of civilians before military courts, noting the escalation of these actions since the measures announced by Tunisian President Kais Saied last July 25, which included the suspension of Parliament And lift the immunity of all its members.

The investigative judge at the Military Court in Tunisia had released the head of the Al-Karama coalition bloc in Parliament, and also decided to invalidate the subpoena, and the attorney for the representative said that it was also decided to hear him at a later date.


Operation "kidnapping"

MP Seif El-Din Makhlouf confirmed - in a statement after his release - that he had gone to the military court voluntarily in coordination with the defense body, and described his arrest in front of the military court in Tunis as a kidnapping and a full-fledged crime by individuals he did not know in civilian clothes and a car.

The Dignity Coalition party had broadcast pictures showing the violence of Seif El-Din Makhlouf and forcing him into an unknown car while he was arriving in front of the military court.

Makhlouf said - in an interview with Al Jazeera - that the attack on him took place on the premises of the military court, adding that the National Security has no authority to carry out seizures in this place, especially by people in civilian clothes.

In other statements, Makhlouf expressed the legal sector's refusal to involve the military court and implicate it, according to him, in settling political rivalries.

It is noteworthy that Makhlouf is wanted by the military judiciary, along with other deputies from his party, in what is known as the airport case, in which he is accused of interfering to force airport security forces to deport a Tunisian woman who was previously banned from traveling due to security objections, which Makhlouf said is unconstitutional.

Presidential statement

In a related context, Tunisian President Kais Saied issued instructions not to prevent any person from traveling unless he was issued with a summons, imprisonment or search warrant.

Saeed affirmed - in a statement to the Presidency of the Republic - that this is done in full respect of the law, with the preservation of the dignity of all, and with observance of the obligations of travelers abroad.

Said said that what he is promoting about ill-treatment is pure slander, according to a statement by the Tunisian presidency.

On July 25, the Tunisian president took exceptional measures, under which he dismissed Prime Minister Hisham Al-Mashishi, froze the powers of Parliament, and lifted the immunity of deputies, which also included arrests, dismissals and exemptions for a number of officials.