Tunisian Police Arrest Rached Ghannouchi

Today, the Tunisian police arrested Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahda party, making him the highest-ranking political figure to be detained in Tunisia. A Ministry of Interior official told Reuters that Ghannouchi was brought in for questioning and his home was searched based on orders from the public prosecutor following "inciting statements." The official added that Ghannouchi will remain under investigation until the public prosecutor makes a decision regarding him. Ghannouchi stated during a meeting of the opposition Salvation Front this week, "Tunisia without political Islam, Tunisia without the left, or any other component, is a project for a civil war." He further remarked, "Those who celebrated the coup are exclusionary and terrorists, and they are advocates of civil war." Ghannouchi has faced multiple rounds of judicial questioning over the past year concerning allegations related to financial issues within the Ennahda party and suspicions that he assisted Islamists in traveling to Syria for jihad, accusations that he and the party deny.