Tunisian Forces Arrest Terrorist Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison

Tunisian security forces. (AFP)
Tunisian security forces. (AFP)
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Tunisian Forces Arrest Terrorist Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison

Tunisian security forces. (AFP)
Tunisian security forces. (AFP)

Counter-terrorism forces in Tunisia's Douar Hicher arrested a 30-year-old terrorist who got sentenced in absentia for 48 years.

The Interior Ministry noted that he has a security record at the Counter-terrorism forces, which had been tracking him and got him arrested at his house.

The condemned is involved in a number of terrorist operations in the Tunisian capital including the terrorist offensive against Bardo National Museum on March 18, 2015, and another terrorist attack that targeted a presidential bus on Nov. 24 of the same year.

The sources added that the condemned was proven to be involved in communicating with Tunisian leaders who joined ISIS years ago – he also provided logistic support to terrorist members several times.

Douar Hicher has been hosting since 2012 a conference for “Ansar al-Sharia” after its convention was banned in Kairouan.

In a related context, security bodies specialized in fighting terrorism dismantled a terrorist cell composed of three. They belong to terrorist groups, pledged allegiance to a terrorist group and adopted its extremism intellect.

The disclosed cell will be faced with the charge of belonging to a terrorist group -- the case will be referred to the judicial authority specialized in terrorism.

Meanwhile, the security bodies arrested a man who described the workers in the military institution and the state figures as “devils” – his age does not exceed 30 years.

Tunisian security reports affirmed that there are 300-400 sleeper terrorist cells still jeopardizing Tunisian’s security and stability.



Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
TT

Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo

A petition signed by prominent Tunisians and civil society groups was published on Saturday urging that rejected candidates be allowed to stand in the October 6 presidential election, Agence France Presse reported.

Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified.

They are Imed Daimi, who was an adviser to former president Moncef Marzouki, former minister Mondher Zenaidi and opposition party leader Abdellatif Mekki.

The three were among 14 candidates barred by the Tunisian election authority, ISIE, from standing in the election.

If they do take part, they will join former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel in challenging incumbent President Kais Saied.

Saturday's petition was also signed by more than 180 civil society figures including Wahid Ferchichi, dean of the public law faculty at Carthage University.

It called the administrative court "the only competent authority to adjudicate disputes related to presidential election candidacies.”

The petition referred to statements by ISIE head Farouk Bouasker, who on Thursday indicated that the authority will soon meet to finalize the list of candidates, "taking into consideration judicial judgements already pronounced.”

This has been interpreted as suggesting the ISIE may reject new candidacies if they are the subject of legal proceedings or have convictions.

The administrative court's rulings on appeals "are enforceable and cannot be contested by any means whatsoever,” the petition said.

It called on the electoral authority to "respect the law and avoid any practice that could undermine the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”