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Interim Head of Tunisia’s Ennahda Party on Trial on Charges of Terrorism

Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi (AFP)
Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi (AFP)
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Interim Head of Tunisia’s Ennahda Party on Trial on Charges of Terrorism

Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi (AFP)
Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi (AFP)

The interim head of Tunisia’s Ennahda party, Mondher Ounissi, appeared on Tuesday before a counter-terrorism court after his arrest over "suspicious political alliances".

Ounissi was arrested last month following the publication of audio recordings in which he was accused of concluding suspicious political alliances with a Tunisian businessman and of receiving illegal funds.

Ennahda appointed Ounissi as its acting leader on 26 April following the arrest of Ennahda’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi, earlier this year.

Several party officials close to Ghannouchi are accused of money laundering in relation to foreign funding for Ennahda-linked associations and charities and using the money against the ruling authorities.

The Tunisian Judiciary has labeled the arrested individuals as “terrorists” and claimed they were involved in a plot against the security of the state.

In previous comments, Ounissi said in a video on his Facebook page that the recordings were fabricated. He claimed authorities were looking to paralyze Ennahdha, which planned to hold its 11th congress next October.

In the recordings attributed to Ounissi, the Ennahda interim leader accused some officials of his party of seeking to control Ennahda and receiving illegal funds, thus allowing the Public Prosecution Office to open a larger investigation into the recordings.

On Tuesday, Ennahda Party renewed its demand for the release of imprisoned politicians, describing their cases as a “scandal.”

“We urge the closure of these scandalous files,” the party said in a statement, adding that authorities should stop targeting their opponents and speed up the release of political prisoners, mainly Ghannouchi, and Johar bin Mubarak, who entered a hunger strike two weeks ago.

Bin Mubarak entered a hunger strike on Sept. 25-26, and was later followed by Ghannouchi.

His sister, Dalila Mossadegh, confirmed that her brother is suffering from health problems inside the prison. She said his health has deteriorated lately, which forced the prison authorities to transfer him to the Habib Thamer Hospital in the capital.

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Arab World

As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.