Tunisian counter-terrorism forces arrested on Thursday Sadok Chourou, former leading member of the Ennahda movement and a founder of the Tunisian Constituent Assembly.
He was arrested for a social media post that was deemed terrorist-related. He was released hours later for health reasons.
Ennahda slammed the arrest, saying Chourou was detained outside of his residence and taken to an unknown location, sparking panic among his family.
It further condemned the arrest because Chourou has been suffering from chronic illness for years that forced him to quit political life.
Ennahda said the arrest was deliberately aimed at the movement.
Chourou is a historic member of Ennahda. He spent some 20 years in jail under the rule of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. He assumed leadership of the movement during the 1990s.
Ennahda added that Chourou first became ill during the long time he spent in solitary confinement in prison.
It said he had come under physical and psychological duress and deprived of medical treatment during his detention.
It held the authorities responsible for any health setback that his latest “arbitrary arrest” could cause.
Furthermore, the movement slammed the deliberate “extrajudicial targeting of its members,” in what it viewed were acts of reprisals.
