Tunisia’s Ennahda Accused of Concealing Evidence Tied to Political Assassinations

Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda party, attends the parliament's opening with a session to elect a speaker, in Tunis, Tunisia November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda party, attends the parliament's opening with a session to elect a speaker, in Tunis, Tunisia November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Tunisia’s Ennahda Accused of Concealing Evidence Tied to Political Assassinations

Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda party, attends the parliament's opening with a session to elect a speaker, in Tunis, Tunisia November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda party, attends the parliament's opening with a session to elect a speaker, in Tunis, Tunisia November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

The involvement of Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda Movement in political assassinations that rocked the North African country resurfaced with accusations that the party had concealed evidence linked to the murders.

The defense lawyers of opposition figures Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid said that investigations proved that Ennahda’s secret apparatus was behind the political assassinations which took place in 2013.

A committee, made up of lawyers, directed a wave of new accusations against Ennahda’s leadership for plotting the assassinations. It confirmed that there is a direct link between the movement’s secret apparatus, the assassinations, and the movement’s leadership.

In a press conference held in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, and marking the seventh anniversary of the murders, the committee held Ennahda’s secret apparatus responsible for violence in the country after Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime was overthrown in 2011.

The case of Ennahda’s secret apparatus exploded in 2018 when the committee exposed documents and evidence connecting Ennahda to a parallel security state apparatus involved in political assassinations, espionage, and violating state institutions.

Member of the committee Anwar al-Basiti, on Thursday, revealed that evidence points to the direct involvement of Ennahda’s secret apparatus.

Iman Qazaza, another committee member, confirmed that Ennahda’s secret apparatus was also involved in concealing evidence, some of which are tied to the terrorist Abu Bakir al-Hakim.

Qazaza revealed that a connection was found between Mustapha Kheder, considered the head of Ennahda’s secret apparatus, and the president of the movement, Rached Ghannouchi via his cell phone and through a person called Kamel Badaoui.

Qazaza said that Badaoui is extremely close to Ghannouchi and belongs to the 1991 security group. He exercises secret and security functions and he was called to the rescue by Kheder on December 19, 2013, the date of his arrest.

Qazaza added that the Attorney General Bachir Akremi had used every ploy to protect Ghannouchi and some of his close associates and he did not send the file to court.



Hamas Says It Is Engaged in ‘Fierce Fighting’ in Gaza’s Rafah

Palestinian men walk near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinian men walk near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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Hamas Says It Is Engaged in ‘Fierce Fighting’ in Gaza’s Rafah

Palestinian men walk near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinian men walk near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (Reuters)

Hamas fighters were engaged in "fierce fighting" with Israeli soldiers on Thursday in the south of the Gaza Strip near Rafah, the Palestinian group said.

The statement, issued on Telegram, suggests that Hamas is still active in areas where the Israeli military has expanded its control, more than 19 months after the start of Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza.

In a later statement, it said fighters ambushed an Israeli 12-man force inside a house in the Tanur neighborhood in the eastern Rafah area with two anti-personnel and anti-armor rockets, killing and wounding several soldiers.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the Hamas claim.

The group has rarely reported fighting around Rafah in recent months, with most clashes reported in the eastern area of the nearby city of Khan Younis and northern parts of the coastal territory.

Israel said earlier this month it would further extend its offensive in Gaza.

Israel resumed its offensive in March after the collapse of a fragile, US-backed ceasefire that had halted fighting for six weeks.