A Tunisian judge on Thursday (November 4th) issued an international arrest warrant against ex-President Moncef Marzouki, living in France and fiercely critical of the coup by current head of state Kais Saied, official television reported .

The warrant was issued by the investigating judge in charge of the Marzouki case, the former president being accused by the new head of state, Kaïs Saïed, of plotting against state security.

The information was also provided by official television, but the AFP agency could not confirm it with the prosecution immediately.

An "enemy of Tunisia"

The judge's decision comes after President Saïed asked Tunisian justice in mid-October to open an investigation into statements made by Moncef Marzouki and to withdraw his diplomatic passport from the one who appears to him "among the enemies of Tunisia ".

In an intervention on France 24 on October 12, Moncef Marzouki welcomed the proposal of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie to postpone the XVII Francophonie Summit, scheduled for November 20 and 21 in Djerba, Tunisia, saying " proud to have worked there ", according to TAP.

The former president also called on France, during a demonstration in Paris on October 9, to "reject any support for this regime and for this man (Kaïs Saïed) who plotted against the revolution and abolished the Constitution".

The current president gave himself almost full powers last July.

After months of political deadlock and in the midst of a socio-economic-health crisis, Kaïs Saïed invoked on July 25 an "imminent peril" to dismiss the Prime Minister, suspend the activities of Parliament and take back the judiciary in hand.

Since this coup, Moncef Marzouki has stepped up interventions on television channels, including Al-Jazeera, and on social networks to call for the dismissal of a man he describes as a "putschist" and "dictator".

He accuses him of having betrayed the Constitution.

Historical opponent of the dictatorship of Ben Ali then first president of the post-revolution (2011-2014), Moncef Marzouki, 76, has long symbolized the fight for democracy in Tunisia, even if his image has been blurred by the fact in particular of its controversial alliance with Ennahda, party of Islamist inspiration.

He ruled Tunisia until 2014, failing to be re-elected that year, as well as in 2019.

With Reuters and AFP

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