Tunisia-Mekki: “The ruling issued against Ghannouchi raises many questionable points” [Video]

Speaking to Tunisie Numérique, Secretary-General of the Labor and Achievement Party and Abdellatif Makki expressed notable concerns on Friday, February 2, 2024, concerning the judiciary ruling against Rached Ghannouchi. Makki condemned the ruling as characteristic of those issued against politicians, underscoring numerous doubts about the conditions for fair and independent trials.

Makki lamented the judiciary’s evident subordination to executive power, a situation aggravated by President Kais Saied’s actions to dissolve the Supreme Council of the Judiciary and establish a new council. This move, according to him, compromises the judiciary’s independence and fairness.

He further reasoned that the judgment against Ghannouchi cannot be considered equitable as it seems to be part of a broader strategy aimed at silencing political dissent. He emphasized the need to meet all criteria for fair adjudication before forming an opinion on the case.

The context for his remarks is the recent decision by the division chamber at the Court of First Instance in Tunisia. This court handed down a three-year immediate imprisonment sentence to both Rached Ghannouchi and Rafiq Bouchlaka in association with allegations of a political party receiving funds from a foreign entity. This ruling has sparked debate about the state of judicial independence and political freedom in Tunisia.