Tunisia: 27 new figures in the case of conspiracy against state security
More than 27 Tunisian political and human rights figures, in addition to a former head of the electoral commission, were included in the Tunisian judiciary’s investigation into conspiracy against state security, according to opposition political figures who spoke to Tunisian media, which may reveal new facts.
The sources confirmed that the Tunisian judiciary started on Friday to file new summons against several figures suspected of being involved in conspiring against state security.
The investigation’s most prominent figures include political and human rights activist Bochra Belhaj Hmida, who is now outside Tunisia, as well as political activist Kamel Jendoubi, who in 2011 assumed the presidency of the Independent High Electoral Commission, according to the same source.
Delilah Mossadeq, a lawyer and member of the defense committee for the detainees in the case of conspiracy against the state security, said in a statement to the Tunisian radio (Mosaique) that legal proceedings have been issued for the interrogation of a number of political and human rights activists.
On Thursday, the Terrorism Indictment Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Tunis upheld the decisions of the Anti-Terrorism Investigative Judge and the judges who refused to release Issam Chebbi, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Chaima Issa, Ghazi Chaouachi, Ridha Belhaj, Abdelhamid Jelassi and Lazhar Akremi, all detainees in connection with the case of conspiracy against state security.
The Indictment Chamber also confirmed the decision of the investigating judge to refuse to reveal the identities of the two “informers” who were relied upon in the case file.
With the decision of the Indictment Department refusing to release the detainees, the case file is returned to the investigating judge to complete his investigative work in the file.
On February 14, Tunisian President Kais Saied said in a video released by the presidency, “They are conspiring against the security of the state, planning and preparing to assassinate the head of state, and they are under the protection of security,” adding that “this is about the life of the state and the future of the people, and they are talking about actions.”
The Tunisian authorities arrested a number of Brotherhood leaders, foremost among them Abdelhamid Jelassi, a Brotherhood leader and former parliamentarian, and Kamel Eltaief, a Tunisian businessman, in addition to Fawzi Al-Faqih, in the case of conspiracy against state security and the attempted coup d’état.
The “Branching Group” in Tunisia had attempted to overthrow the government on January 27th by inflaming social unrest and causing chaos at night, using some parties within the presidential palace. However, Tunisian security and intelligence forces were able to thwart this plan by tracking their calls, contacts, and actions, revealing that Khayam Turki- the personality agreed upon by the Muslim Brotherhood to succeed Kais Saied – were the link in it.
Tunisia has recently witnessed a campaign of arrests carried out by the Tunisian security forces against politicians, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, businessmen cooperating with them, and isolated judges. Most of the charges were related to conspiracy against state security and financial corruption.
