Debate in Tunisia over Continued House Arrest of Officials

Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
TT

Debate in Tunisia over Continued House Arrest of Officials

Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)

The Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) has requested the government to clarify the situation of officials who have been banned from traveling and are under house arrest.

The league said it received several complaints related to the human rights situation in the country, especially after President Kais Saied’s extraordinary moves on July 25.

LTDH chief Jamel Msallam said he submitted a request to the interior ministry to discuss this major human rights issue and identify the reasons behind the decisions taken against several businessmen, government employees and other figures.

However, Msallam said he didn’t receive a reply, describing the decisions as “arbitrary.”

His statements sparked mixed reactions among Tunisians and sharp debate about the continued travel ban against some officials.

Imad al-Ghabri, spokesperson of the Tunis Administrative Court, said 15 of those under house arrest, by order of the interim interior minister Saied appointed, had appealed the decision before the court.

The verdict should be issued in less than a month, he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that they were included in the judicial emergency list.

MP Mabrouk Karsheed revealed that the travel ban is being implemented at Tunis-Carthage International Airport.



Italian FM Meets Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

Italian FM Meets Syria's Sharaa in Damascus
TT

Italian FM Meets Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

Italian FM Meets Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

State news agency SANA did not give further details about Tajani and Sharaa's discussions, just over a month after opposition fighters seized Damascus and Assad fled to Moscow.

Tajani earlier met his new counterpart Asaad al-Shibani, after which the Syrian official said he would soon make his first official tour of Europe.

Tajani spoke of easing the sanctions imposed on the war-torn country under its former leader.

"The sanctions absolutely must not hit the Syrian population," he said.

"They were imposed because there was a different regime. It's important to open discussions on the changed situation."

Western powers, including the United States and the European Union, imposed sanctions against Assad's government for his brutal crackdown after anti-government protests in 2011 that triggered civil war.

More than 13 years of conflict have killed in excess of half a million people, ravaged the economy, and pushed millions of people to flee their homes, including to Europe.

Tajani arrived after hosting talks with European counterparts and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome on Thursday, where Tajani said they are seeking a "stable and united Syria.”

The European Union's top diplomat earlier Friday said the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria's new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities.

"The EU could gradually ease sanctions provided there is tangible progress," foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.

Shibani said he welcomed what he described as Tajani's focus on sanctions.

"We share his opinion that the reasons for imposing them no longer exist, and could be an obstacle to encouraging the return of refugees from outside Syria,” Shibani said.

Tajani earlier toured the landmark Umayyad mosque in Damascus.

"It's a great pleasure... to be here this morning to visit and pay homage to all Syrian believers," he told AFP at the mosque, which is about 1,300 years old.

He described the mosque as "one of the most beautiful" in the world.

The Italian minister earlier said he planned to announce an initial development aid package for Syria.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock visited Damascus last week.