Tunisia: arrest of lawmaker, journalist for insulting President

Tunisian security forces have detained a parliamentarian and a journalist of a local television on charges of plotting against the state, and insulting President Kais Saied.

Abdellatif Alaoui, a lawmaker MP and former leader of el Karama coalition, (17 seats), announced on a Facebook post that he has been arrested at his residence on Sunday by a unit of the criminal police.

On the same day, Ameur Ayed; a host of a show at Zitouna TV also announced his arrest by security forces. The arrests came few days after Ayed hosted MP Aloui in a talk show. Both, according to the criminal police, are accused of plotting against the state, insulting the Tunisian leader.

During the Friday talk show, the journalist reportedly lambasted president Saied over the exceptional measures including freezing of the parliament activities, suspension of lawmakers’ immunity, seizure of the executive power, that he has taken since July 25.

 

Ayed reportedly branded Mr. Saied “Hitler’s brother” and “illegitimate child”. He also laid into the appointment of the country’s first female Prime Minister.

 

Ayed argued that Saied hid under the skirts of a woman to save his coup.

 

The Tunisian leader last week named Najla Bouden Romdhane to form a cabinet with the task to combat corruption and chaos that pervaded in many state institutions.

 

The 63-year old geology professor at the National School of Engineers replaced Hichem Mechichi sacked as part of exceptional measures enacted by the President.

 

The majority party in the frozen parliament Ennahdha Sunday expressed its opposition to the arrest of TV host Amer Ayed and Abdellatif Aloui, on the orders of military justice.

 

This arrest is an “infringement of their right to a fair trial provided by the constitution,” denounced the movement in a statement.

 

The party expressed its concern about the arrest of the frozen MP Abdellatif Aloui, as a move to prevent the bureau of the parliament to reach the quorum to meet and discuss the freezing of the parliamentary institution.