Tunisia – Charges against Ennahdha leader Noureddine Bhiri
Tunisia’s Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine has unveiled the cases and accusations against Noureddine Bhiri, Ennahdha’s vice-president and the right-hand man of its president Rached Ghannouchi.
In a press conference held yesterday, Charfeddine added, as aired on official television channels: There is suspicion of terrorism in Bhiri’s arrest file, he said, adding that the house arrest decision is related to serious suspicions related to the illegal production and presentation of nationality certificates, identification cards and passports to people.
The interior minister said: He does not want to mention the beneficiaries for security reasons, saying that announcing the names will be a surprise.
“Officials were able to obtain birth certificates and nationality certificates issued at a date later than the date of issue”, he said, adding that there are suspicions of terrorism in this regard.
Charfeddine said: “There are fears of terrorist operations affecting the safety of the homeland; Therefore, I had to make the decision”, he said, adding that “he had contacted the Ministry of Justice about the issue, but that “the procedures were stalled”.
Commenting on the house arrest order, Charfeddine stated that the decision could be made only if there were concerns about a person, persons or institutions that could pose a threat to public security.
The Minister of the Interior stressed that the two recent house arrest decisions were not in vain and were based on a legal provision in force.
He said the ministry offered Ennahdha leader Noureddine Bhiri a transfer to a military hospital in Tunis, but he preferred to stay at Habib Bougatfa hospital in Bizerte.
He said that Bhiri was treated with respect and was provided with the necessary health care, which is documented.
