Tunisia.. Referral of a former minister for investigation on charges of "spreading false rumors" and the President of the Journalists' Syndicate: The country is in a state of "temporary release"

The Tunisian authorities referred the former Minister of Human Rights, Ayachi Hammami, who is the coordinator of the defense committee for the dismissed judges, to investigation on charges of "promoting and spreading false rumors," while the president of the Journalists' Syndicate said that the country is experiencing what he called a "temporary release" situation.

Al-Hammami considered that his referral for investigation falls within the framework of the country's president and government's policy of dealing with those who differ with him in opinion, in addition to trying to cover up the file of the dismissed judges, as he put it.

In early January, he said in a statement that the Minister of Justice, Leila Jaffal, wronged the judges who were dismissed from their duties, and committed the crime of not implementing judicial rulings by returning them to their jobs.

During a gathering of judges and lawyers in Tunis on Tuesday, Hammami said that Decree 54 created a climate of fear among citizens and activists.

Al-Hamami continued, "It is a scandalous decree of the current authority, punishing those who express their opinion with ten years in prison and 100,000 dinars ($31,000) in fines."

Last September, President Qais Said issued this decree, which relates to crimes related to communication and information systems, and imposes penalties on those who spread rumors and false news, which raised concerns among journalists and human rights activists that they might be targeted.

Al-Hamami added, "Today, we stand side by side with judges and lawyers, and our goal is not to reject trials, but rather to respect human rights and achieve fair trials."

And he considered that President Said "today no longer has solutions to Tunisia's problems, and he has nothing but the big stick and referral to the courts."

He also considered that the Tunisian president "participated in financial corruption because he paid 6 months' wages to exempted judges, while accusing them of corruption, terrorism and conspiracy."

On the tenth of last August, the Administrative Court issued a final decision to stop the dismissal of 49 out of 57 judges dismissed by Saeed in early June, on charges including changing the course of cases, obstructing investigations into terrorism files, and committing financial and moral corruption, which the judges deny is true.

Al-Hamami: Decree 54 created a climate of fear among citizens and activists (Al-Jazeera)

"temporary release"

In turn, the head of the Journalists Syndicate, Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Jalasi, accused the authorities of gradually turning the country into a large prison for opinion, he said.

Al-Jelassi stressed - in a speech he delivered during the opening of a trade union meeting - that Tunisian society is living in what he called a state of "temporary release", as a result of the activation of a decree according to which journalists, bloggers, lawyers and political activists are prosecuted, as he put it.

For its part, the Democratic Current Party in Tunisia called for early legislative and presidential elections according to a new electoral system that guarantees political stability in the country.

As for Tunisian President Kais Saied, he stressed the need for the continuity of the state's public facilities, and called for full readiness to organize the second round of parliamentary elections.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Naglaa Boden and the Ministers of Justice, Interior and Defense, Saeed stressed the importance of providing all the necessary capabilities for the National Criminal Reconciliation Committee, which is charged with recovering the looted funds.

Since July 25, 2021, Tunisia has been witnessing a political crisis when Said began imposing exceptional measures, including dissolving the Judicial Council and Parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, holding early legislative elections in December 2022, and approving a new constitution through a referendum.

Tunisian forces consider these measures a consecration of absolute individual rule, while other forces see them as a correction of the course of the 2011 revolution that overthrew then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1987-2011).

As for Saeed, who began a 5-year presidential term in 2019, he said that his measures are necessary and legal to save the state from a total collapse.