Tunisia: Nine women sentenced to prison for terror acts

The Criminal Chamber within the court of first instance in Tunis has sentenced nine women to several years in prison for forming a terror cell that was plotting to attack a minister in the North African country.

Two members of this group of ten people including the cell alleged founder, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for “terrorist acts” according to the court ruling, issued on Tuesday, authorities said Thursday.
Seven other defendants received sentences ranging from three to 14 years in prison. Another defendant was acquitted.

The alleged terror attack dates back to 2016 when rumors swirled on social media that an assassination attempt on then Interior Minister Hédi Majdou was plotted, while he was visiting his parents.

According to local radio Mosaïque FM, a neighbor of the minister’s parents was among the convicted women. She was accused of providing information about the interior minister’s visits to his family.

The 10 women have been detained since 2016. Tunisia saw a sharp increase in terror attack after the removal of former autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The country witnessed its darkest year in 2015 after three major attacks claimed by the Islamic state group killed over 70 people most of whom were foreign tourists.

In another development, the Tunisian Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday evening that a suspect, it described as “dangerous Takfiri”, was arrested in Bir Ali Ben Khalifa, Sfax governorate.

“This individual was trained in the manufacture of explosives and deadly poisons with the intention of committing terrorist attacks and targeting security and military personnel,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the arrested individual was affiliated to the terrorist ISIS group, the technical and field investigations showed.