France refuses to extradite former Tunisian President Marzouki sentenced to four years in prison

Ex-Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki has revealed French authorities have turned down Tunisia’s request to extradite him after he was condemned to four years in prison in December on charges of plotting against the North African country.

Marzouki indicated that he has been subjected to an international arrest warrant issued by Tunisian authorities.

The former Tunisian leader has been living in France for several months now. He has been in an open feud with incumbent President Kais Saied that he described as a dictator apprentice.

Marzouki has been among outspoken critics of Saied over his July 25 move during which he seized all major powers including the executive and legislature.

In December, the Court of First Instance in Tunisia sentenced Marzouki in absentia to four years imprisonment on charges of “attacking the state’s external security.”

The former leader took responsibility for contributing to the postponement of the Francophonie summit scheduled for November 2021 in Tunisia.

Marzouki has called over the weekend for civil disobedience in the North African country to topple Kais Saied.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Marzouki accused Saied of pushing the country to “an unprecedented level of problems.”

“In less than a year, Tunisia drifted to division, economic collapse, threats against judges and grave violations of human rights,” Marzouki said.