Tunisia to question Ennahda leader on terrorism accusations

TUNIS, Tunisia

Tunisian authorities on Sunday summoned Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi and his deputy for questioning on terrorism accusations.

“Ghannouchi and Ali Laarayedh will appear before the anti-terror unit on Monday to answer accusations of sending Tunisians to hotspots” overseas, Riadh Chaibi, a political adviser to Ghannouchi, told Anadolu Agency.

There was no comment yet from the Tunisian authorities on the report.

On Wednesday, Tunisian authorities arrested Habib Al-Louz, a former parliamentarian and senior Ennahda leader, for questioning on similar charges.

On Tuesday, the private Radio Mosaique, citing informed sources, said that judicial authorities have given permission to the relevant security body to take necessary measures to investigate the case with "involved politicians, former security officials, lawyers and heads of charity organizations."

According to local media, arrest warrants were issued against three former security officials, former parliamentarian Reda al-Jawadi, businessman Mohamed Frikha and cleric Sheikh Bechir ben Hasan.

The Ennahda party termed the warrants as “random arrests" aimed at defaming the image of the party and its figures.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's economic conditions since last year, when President Kais Saied ousted the government and dissolved parliament.

While Saied insists that his measures were meant to "save" the country, critics have accused him of orchestrating a coup.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar