Tunisia

01 Jan 2022; MEMO: According to an announcement by the Tunisian Ennahda Movement on Friday, President Kais Saied is "directly responsible" for the kidnapping of the movement's vice president, Noureddine Bhiri.

"This morning, the movement's Vice President MP Noureddine Bhiri was kidnapped by security men wearing civilian clothing and was taken to an unknown destination," the Ennahda Movement shared in a statement.

01 Jan 2022; MEMO: Tunisia's Ennahda Movement said on Friday that its deputy head, Noureddine El-Beheiry was abducted and taken to an unknown destination, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement, the Movement said: "The Movement's Vice-President and member of parliament, Noureddine El-Beheiry, was abducted, today morning."

According to the statement, El-Beheiry was abducted by "security forces with civilian clothes and taken to an unknown destination."

31 Dec 2021; MEMO: The Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, welcomed the meeting of various political and intellectual parties to resist the "unconstitutional measures" taken by President Kais Saied.

30 Dec 2021; MEMO: "I'll soon return home to Tunisia and overthrow the incumbent regime," the former Tunisian president, Moncef Marzouki, vowed yesterday.

"I'm waiting for a signal from the militants in Tunisia to decide on the date of my return to Tunis," Marzouki, who is currently residing in the French capital, Paris, said on Twitter.

Marzouki's remarks came days after he was sentenced by a Tunisian court to four years in prison for "harming the external security of the state."

25 Dec 2021; MEMO: Trials of Tunisian citizens before civil and military courts for "insulting the president" have increased, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said referring to repressive pre-revolution laws used by the public prosecution.

The organisation said that the Tunisian authorities are prosecuting and imprisoning citizens for public criticism of President Kais Saied after he announced his exceptional measures last July. Those prosecuted include; senior civil servants, members of parliament, social media commentators and TV presenters.

23 Dec 2021; MEMO: Recent reports that Turkey supports Tunisian President Kais Saied's power grab are "deficit of credibility" and "are mostly a matter of media marketing", the adviser to former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has said.

In a statement to MEMO, the former adviser for international affairs Anouar Gharbi said: "Turkey has encouraged initiatives and efforts by the peoples of the region who demanded democratisation and never supported the coup against democracy and the rule of law."

23 Dec 2021; MEMO: Three Tunisian parties today accused incumbent President Kais Saied of pressuring the judiciary to intimidate political opponents, Anadolu reports.

Yesterday, a Tunisian court sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki, 76, to four years in prison in absentia on charges of "attacking external state security".

23 Dec 2021; MEMO: Prominent Tunisian Professor of Constitutional Law, Sghaier Zakraoui, has criticised the "unilateral" decisions announced by President Kais Saied, saying if the president has a programme he should present it to the people through elections.

18 Dec 2021; MEMO: The "Citizens Against the Coup" initiative announced on Friday starting an open sit-in at Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the centre of the capital to call on ending the "coup against the constitution".

"As of today (Friday), we will start an open sit-in until ending the coup and overthrowing the one who turned against the Constitution," member of the Initiative Executive Body Jawhar Bin Mubarak stated with reference to President Kais Saied.

17 Dec 2021; MEMO: The Speaker of Tunisia's Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, yesterday stressed the "absolute rejection" of the disruption of government for another year, considering the measure "unconstitutional and illegal."

"Ending the deep crisis within the country cannot be achieved except through the immediate abolishment of the exceptional measures and engaging in inclusive national dialogue in order to unanimously form the future of the country," he said.