Tunisia-Ahmed Souab discloses new information on the Mehdi Ben Gharbia case

Attorney and spokesperson for the defence committee of Mehdi Ben Gharbia, Ahmed Souab talked at a press conference held today on the advancement of the case. He indicated that being the president of the CAB sports team, a successful businessman and a politician who won 3 elections, Mehdi Ben Gharbia was targeted. “Mehdi Ben Gharbia is the best target for multiple parties,” he said. According to him, several legal cases are currently being conducted on the basis of the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedures developed for decades. Souab, hence, pointed to the lack of human rights accomplishments in Tunisia since the revolution. The speaker correspondingly pointed to the lack of legal proof against Ben Gharbia.

The lawyer remembered that Ben Gharbia was blackmailed by the newspaper Al Thawra News having requested the latter for 50 thousand dinars. This is, according to Souab, an offence that can incur 5 to 7 years in jail against the parties concerned. The lawyer said that the complaints filed against the newspaper were not processed while Ben Gharbia case was fast decided.

“Hundreds of complaints have been filed against the newspaper since 2016 from several parties including the judges, the SNJT, the LTDH, the association of magistrates and that of the leaders of the newspapers, for breach personal data, disparagement and publication of data in association with legal investigations. These complaints have not been processed, which demonstrates that the parties behind this newspaper are guarded and more powerful than the state. We have accordingly initiated 4 legal proceedings against judges in Tunis, Ariana and Sousse who were behind the late processing of this case,” he said, adding that the committee will sue the Public Prosecutor of Sousse for concealing evidence of Ben Gharbia’s innocence.