Tunisia captures noticeable pundits of president

Tuesday Feb 14 2023

TUNIS police on Monday detained two unmistakable rivals of President Kais Saied and the top of a radio broadcast that conveyed analysis of the president, part of a barrage of shots targeting lawmakers and various public authority scholars.

Police swooped in and removed Noureddine Bhiri, a senior figure in Ennahda's main opposition and the irreplaceable Saied, his legal adviser Samir Dilou said by phone.

"The police went on a rampage at Noureddine Bhiri's house, attacked his better half and captured him," Dilou told Reuters.

Specialists also raided the site of FM Mosaique head Noureddine Boutar, whose radio broadcasts have occasionally broadcast analysis of Saied, and captured him after inspecting his home, said his lawyer Dalila Ben Mbarek.

Police also detained political dissident and legal adviser Lazhar Akremi, lawyers and rebels said.

Since Saturday, police have held various figures who expressed opposition to Saied or tried to engage him in battle.

They included a prominent business pioneer with close ties across the political spectrum, a previous money official, another previous senior Ennahda official, two appointed authorities and a previous deputy. Legal advisers said they were captured on suspicion of an attack on state security.

Neither the police, the Inside Service nor the office of the supreme leader of the state would comment freely on the arrests or respond to requests for access.

The Islamist party Ennahda condemned the "kidnapping of Saied's opponents".

"The development of a subversion expert in harassing resistance figures, columnists, financial specialists and foreign exchange unionists is evidence of confusion and inability to face extraordinary situations," the statement said.

Saied shut down parliament out of nowhere, excused public power and took over the government in a July 2021 proclamation ahead of a constitutional overhaul, a move his fault-finders called an overthrow that tore apart the vote-based system that operated after a 2011 coup.

Saied denied upset and said his actions were legal and important to save Tunisia from turmoil.

Although several lawmakers have faced capture since Saied was given broad powers, there has been no significant crackdown on dissent.

Bhiri was detained for a very long time last year, accused of helping Islamist aggressors travel to Syria during the Islamic State state of emergency for the past 10 years, a charge both he and Ennahda have denied.

State television has generally ended telecommunications interviews with the president's scholars.