Tunisia Ennahda Party Spokesman Arrested

Ennahda spokesman Abdelfattah Taghouti. (Social media)
Ennahda spokesman Abdelfattah Taghouti. (Social media)
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Tunisia Ennahda Party Spokesman Arrested

Ennahda spokesman Abdelfattah Taghouti. (Social media)
Ennahda spokesman Abdelfattah Taghouti. (Social media)

The spokesman of Tunisia's Ennahda party has been detained, the party said on Wednesday.

Abdelfattah Taghouti was detained by a national guard unit on Tuesday evening, Ennahda said, demanding his immediate release.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) contacted the party but it had no information on the reasons behind the arrest.

Authorities are investigating several leaders from Ennahda, which is the largest party opposing President Kais Saied, over accusations of conspiracy against the state, financial corruption, sending Tunisians to Syria to fight, and terrorism.

The party says that these charges are fabricated and politically motivated.

Among the detainees are Ennahda Secretary-General Ali Laarayedh, who is a former prime minister and minister of the interior, former Minister of Justice Noureddine Bhiri, and former Minister of Agriculture, Mohamed Ben Salem.

Ennahda’s former MP al-Habib al-Loz and Abdul Hamid Al-Jalasi, who resigned from the party, were also arrested.

Investigations also include Rached Ghannouchi, head of the party, who is still free.

In its statement, Ennahda condemned a “campaign of arbitrary arrests aimed at diverting attention from the failings of the regime.”

“Public opinion knows the failure and impotence of the authorities after 20 months of monopolizing power, a period in which our country has sunk further into economic collapse, social misery, and international isolation,” the party stressed.

It further denounced the campaign to silence those who oppose Saied’s policies.



Syria's Sharaa Heads to UAE for Second Visit to a Gulf Country as Leader

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
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Syria's Sharaa Heads to UAE for Second Visit to a Gulf Country as Leader

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa will travel to the United Arab Emirates for his second visit to a Gulf state as president on Sunday, Syria's official news agency reported.

Sharaa will be accompanied by foreign minister Assad al-Shibani, who visited the UAE earlier this year.

They are expected to discuss issues of mutual interest, the SANA state news agency reported.

Sharaa visited Saudi Arabia in February on his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency in January.

According to Reuters, the West is watching Syria's leaders closely to ensure they create an inclusive government with effective institutions, maintain order in a country fractured by civil war and prevent a resurgence of ISIS or al Qaeda.

Syria is in desperate need of sanctions relief to revive its economy after 14 years of war, during which the United States and Europe imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Assad's regime.