Tunisia judge orders imprisonment of former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh
The Hindu
An anti-terrorism judge in Tunisia has ordered the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, Vice-President of the popular Islamist opposition party Ennahdha
An anti-terrorism judge in Tunisia has ordered the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, Vice-President of the popular Islamist opposition party Ennahdha, days after the country held a legislative election marked by a very low turnout.
The judge's decision, announced on Monday, is linked to a case in which other Ennahdha officials are suspected of involving Tunisians who went to fight alongside extremists in Syria, according to Ines Harrath, a lawyer who has worked with a group of attorneys defending Larayedh.
Ennahdha, which had the largest number of lawmakers in the previous parliament, denounced the move as a political attack and called for Larayedh to be freed.
The party said its Vice-President was “deliberately targeted” in a “vain and flagrant attempt” by authorities and President Kais Saied to cover the “failure” of Saturday's vote, which was the election's first round of balloting.
Only 11.22% of Tunisian voters cast ballots, according to Farouk Bouaskar, president of Tunisia’s Election Authority. That is about 1 million voters out of over 9 million registered.
Bouaskar said 21 candidates were elected in the first round, while 133 candidates are qualified for the second round of voting scheduled for January 19. Definitive results will be announced on March 3, he said.
Opposition parties, including the Salvation Front coalition that Ennahdha belongs to, boycotted the election, saying it was part of Saied’s efforts to consolidate power. The decision not to participate in the vote likely will lead to a new legislature that is subservient to the President, whom critics accuse of authoritarian drift.