A blow to the Tunisian Brotherhood – New leaders in the grip of the judiciary

During the past few days, authorities in Tunisia arrested the director of the office of the leader of the Ennahdha Movement, in addition to Tunisian politician Ghazi Chaouachi, in the context of the crackdown on members of the Muslim Brotherhood organization in Tunisia.

Local media reported that the first investigating judge at the Financial Judiciary Pole issued a detention warrant against Fawzi Kamoun, the former director of the office of the Ennahdha leader, Rached Ghannouchi.

Money laundering

The Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Tunis Court of First Instance authorized a specialized team of National Guard agents to arrest Fawzi Kamoun on suspicion of money laundering.

In the same context, the Tunisian police arrested Tunisian politician Ghazi Chaouachi late on Friday, according to his son.

His son, Elias, said that about 20 police officers searched the house and arrested his father, the former leader of the Democratic Current party.

On Friday evening, the investigating judge at the Anti-Terrorism Judicial Pole issued a detention warrant against the businessman and former leader of the Alliance party, Khayam Turki, who had been detained on the charge of conspiring against state security since February 11, in the context of the network coup case.

Brotherhood judge

Meanwhile, Tunisian authorities transferred the former public prosecutor of the Tunis Court of First Instance, Bashir Akremi, known as the “Brotherhood Judge,” from Al-Razi Hospital to the National Security Barracks in Bushusha.

According to local reports, a security car transported Akremi to Bushusha, indicating that there was a judicial order to transfer him to the security barracks.

Akremi was admitted to Al-Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Manouba, on the outskirts of the capital, Tunis, last Saturday, after suffering a nervous breakdown at the detention center in the capital. However, observers confirmed that Akremi pretended to be sick in order to evade the charges against him, which could carry the death penalty.

In previous statements, Tunisian President Kais Saied confirmed that “all measures have been respected, even though some people are searching for provisions to escape accountability, like those who claimed sickness and pretended to be insane when they fell into the hands of the judiciary,” according to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic, which included an implicit reference to Akremi.

Among the orders, the anti-terrorism investigating judge issued a deposit card against businessman Kamel Eltaïef, Khayam al-Turki, Jawhar bin Mubarak, Najla Latif, and others.

The Coup Network

According to informed sources, the detainees attempted to stage a coup on January 27th by igniting social unrest and chaos at night, taking advantage of certain parties within the presidential palace.

However, Tunisian security and intelligence forces were able to thwart this plan by tracking their calls, contacts, and movements, revealing that the personality agreed upon by the Muslim Brotherhood to succeed Kais Saied was the link in the chain.

Brotherhood leaders met at the home of activist and former Brotherhood candidate for the government, in 2019, accompanied by Kamel Ltaief, a businessman who the sources described as a “man of intrigue,” and other diplomats and businessmen, in the northern suburb of Sidi Bou Said.

86 political figures, as well as businessmen, journalists, and diplomats, were implicated in this case. Telephone conversations were also intercepted between them and the presidential palace in Carthage in order to overthrow the regime. This group planned to incite protests by raising prices and controlling food supplies.

The accused were found to have ties to foreign intelligence agencies and were involved in efforts to remove the government and cancel the 2022 constitution, while maintaining the Brotherhood’s 2014 constitution and appointing a new government.

After investigations by the Tunisian authorities, the movements of the Bhiri were tracked until he was arrested last Saturday with important documents, phones, and a written plan that includes a detailed study on how to “raise prices and withhold basic goods from the market.”