Tunisia: Several people, including political activist Khayam Turki, arrested for “plotting against state”

Khayam Turki, a Tunisian political activist opposed to President Kais Saied, and several other people including businessman Kamel Letaïef were arrested Saturday in capital Tunis on plot against the state charges, their defense teams have announced.

The security officers in plain clothes visited, combed Turki’s house and arrested him in the early morning of Saturday and seized his laptop and that of his wife and cellphone, his lawyer Ghazi Chaouachi told state-run news agency TAP.

He was taken to an unknown destination, Chaouachi said adding that the prosecution at Tunis Court of First Instance said it was not aware of the arrest.

Few hours later, Kamel Letaïef, a powerful but discrete businessman, was also arrested in by security forces who showed at his home.

Turki’s defense team indicated that their client was allegedly arrested on charges of plotting against the regime of President Kais Saied.

The activist has been opposed to Saied when he seized major powers on July 25, 2021, a move that his critics branded a coup.
The National Salvation Front alliance, an assortment of civil society movements and political parties, opposed to Saied’s political decisions since the “coup” has slammed the arrest of Turki.

The alliance argues that the activist has been repeatedly summoned by security authorities to provide information on a recent dinner he offered to some political critics of President Saied.

The alliance headed by Ahmed Nejib Chebbi also indicated that the arrest came after a meeting between President Saied and Justice Minister Leila Jaffel.