Tunisia, Dec 22 (EFE) .- Tunisian Justice sentenced this Wednesday to four years in prison in absentia the former president, Moncef Marzouki, accused of “attacking state security” after he urged the international community to withdraw his I support the President of the Republic, Kais Said, who last July assumed full powers.
In an interview with the French channel “France 24″ in October, Marzouki, who served as head of state between 2011 and 2014 and currently resides in Paris, asked the French government to suspend the 18th Francophonie summit as a means of pressure ” against the coup “.
The summit, scheduled for November 19-21 on the island of Djerba (south) and which was to bring together 88 countries from around the world, was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus health crisis and was postponed again days before its celebration for a period of one year.
Two days after these statements, Said asked the Ministry of Justice to open a judicial investigation and announced that he would withdraw his diplomatic passport, considering him an “enemy” of Tunisia.
“Since July 25, I have not stopped repeating to the enemies and friends of Tunisia that they do not interfere in our affairs by supporting, directly or indirectly, the coup,” Marzouki defended himself on social networks, and declared “not to recognize Kais Said as legitimate president. “
In support of this former human rights activist, a hundred intellectuals – among them the Yemeni Tawakkol Karman, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, or the Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour – signed a manifesto denouncing a “ridiculous” trial that, They consider it a revenge for their role in defending the Tunisian Constitution.
Since last July 25, the president decreed the state of exception -which included the cessation of the prime minister and the suspension of the Assembly indefinitely-, he has frozen almost all of the 2014 Constitution and has been done with full powers in order to “regain social peace”.
A decision that has been described by most political parties as a “coup”, while others consider it to be a “rectification” of the 2011 revolution that ended the two decades of the autocratic regime of Zine El Abidine Ben. Ali.
During this period, the Justice has opened numerous investigations and adopted precautionary measures – house arrests and prohibition to leave the country – against senior officials of institutions, magistrates, businessmen and deputies for alleged cases of corruption and others linked to freedom of movement. expression, which has sparked the concern of human rights organizations.
According to the roadmap announced by Said, Tunisia will hold a referendum on July 25 on the constitutional reforms proposed by citizens in order to “regain their sovereignty” and will hold early legislative elections on December 17, 2022. EFE
nrm / yes
© EFE 2021. The redistribution and redistribution of all or part of the contents of Efe’s services is expressly prohibited, without the prior and express consent of Agencia EFE SA
We wish to say thanks to the writer of this write-up for this incredible content
Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki sentenced to prison in absentia