Tunisia-Confirmation of death penalty verdict for double murder in Zeramdine

Monastir Court of Appeal confirmed the first instance ruling pronouncing the death penalty in the case of the murder of a National Guard agent and his companion, which happened in 2016 near the town of Zeramdine, in the governorate of Monastir.

This decision supports the initial judgment which moved the local community and sparked lively debates on justice and security in the region.

The macabre details of the case

According to the official spokesperson for the courts of Monastir and Mahdia, Farid Ben Jha, this tragic case came to light when the disfigured bodies of the two victims were found on a farm near Zeramdine.

The perpetrators of the crime furthermore set their vehicle on fire in an attempt to obliterate all traces of their act. The brutality of the attack and the horrifying staging of the murders deeply shocked the city.

Motivations and investigation

The investigation indicated that the conflict broke out against financial disagreements related to commercial transactions. The victim’s refusal to delay payment of amounts owed led the criminals to lure him to the forest where the crime was committed.

The National Guard agent and his friend were killed, and the criminals later set the car on fire after stealing checks.

Technical advances in the investigation

Farid Ben Jha underlined that it was thanks to the DNA analysis carried out on cigarette butts discovered at the scene that the main culprit was identified.

The latter would not have acted alone, and investigations are still underway to find his accomplices.