Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister

Ali Larayedh, vice president of opposition Ennahdha party, is arrested days after Tunisia’s legislative elections.

An “anti-terrorism” judge in Tunisia has ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, vice president of the main opposition Ennahdha party, days after the country held a legislative election marked by a very low turnout.

The judge’s decision, announced on Monday, is linked to a case in which other Ennahdha officials are accused of sending Tunisians to fight alongside armed groups in Syria, according to Ines Harrath, a lawyer who has worked with a group of lawyers defending Larayedh.

Ennahdha, which had the largest number of lawmakers in the previous parliament, denounced the move as a political attack and called for Larayedh, who served as prime minister from 2013 to 2014, to be freed.

The party said its vice president was “deliberately targeted” in a “vain and flagrant attempt” by authorities and President Kais Saied to cover the “failure” of Saturday’s vote, which was the election’s first round of balloting.


Police members push back supporters of Ennahdha protesting in support of the party leaders in September 2022

Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, president of the country’s main opposition coalition, told journalists that the arrest was intended “to distract attention from the results of an election ignored by the public”.

Only 11.22 percent of Tunisian voters cast ballots, according to Farouk Bouaskar, president of Tunisia’s Election Authority. That is about one million voters out of more than nine million registered.

Bouaskar said 21 candidates were elected in the first round, while 133 candidates have qualified for the second round of voting scheduled for January 19. Definitive results will be announced on March 3, he said.

Opposition parties, including the Salvation Front coalition that Ennahdha belongs to, boycotted the election, saying it was part of Saied’s efforts to consolidate power. The decision not to participate in the vote likely will lead to a new legislature that is subservient to the president, whom critics accuse of authoritarian drift.


‘Silence is a crime’


In his first public comments on the election, Saied rejected criticism over the low turnout and accused opponents of trying to cast doubts on whether the new parliament would be representative of voters’ views.

He said the turnout “is not measured through the first round, but through both rounds” of voting, according to a statement Monday from the presidency.

Parliament last met in July 2021. Since then, Saied, who was elected in 2019, has curbed the independence of the judiciary and weakened parliament’s powers.




Meanwhile, Tunisia’s powerful national trade union on Tuesday ratcheted up its criticism of Saied, urging the country’s civil society to not remain silent.

UGTT leader Noureddine Taboubi said the huge boycott of the election shows the frustration and despair of Tunisians.

“It is time for civil society and national organisations, to play their national role … today the silence is a crime … We will not let you mess with the country and we will not be afraid of prisons,” Taboubi said.

Tunisians are also reeling from a financial crisis amid surging inflation, rising unemployment and a shortage of basic food products.

“Today the time is running, and if you do not understand the message, the people will say their word through peaceful struggle,” Taboubi said.

In a July referendum, Tunisians approved a constitution that hands broad executive powers to the president.

Saied, who spearheaded the project and wrote the text himself, made full use of the mandate in September, changing the electoral law to diminish the role of political parties.

Critics have said the electoral law reforms have hit women particularly hard. Only 127 women were among the 1,055 candidates running in Saturday’s election.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×