Tunisia bans ex-head of electoral body from traveling abroad

Nebil Baffoun, former Chief of Tunisia’s independent electoral body (ISIE) has been banned from leaving the territory – a move he slammed as “nonsense”.

Baffoun in a Saturday Facebook post indicated that he received an offer from international organization for a mission in Mauritania but he realized that he has been banned from traveling.

“I was removed from the ISIE because I had said that the activation of Article 80 was unconstitutional, and I will refrain from commenting on the current composition of the body. Eight months later, I obtained a contract to work abroad in a large international institution for the observation of elections. I was to leave for Nouakchott at the head of a mission, except that I was flagged S17,” he said in the video post.

Baffoun said airport authorities barred him flying because the profession in his passport does not match his current one. He indicated the ministry of Justice, since his removal from the ISIE last year, has also banned him from resuming his profession as court bailiff.

Baffoun also revealed that he is not the only one being targeted by authorities but said he “is confident” things will soon be over.

President Kais Saied replaced in May last year members of ISIE including Baffoun, who had then slammed the move arguing that the body is no longer independent after the president’s decree to replace its members.

Several people as well as civil society organizations and political parties including the country’s largest party Ennahdha had also laid into the move.