Lawyer Nadia Al-Shawashi revealed to Reuters today, Wednesday, that a Tunisian judge has opened new investigations involving prominent political figures, including former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, the former director of President Kais Saied's office, and the leader of the opposition Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, on suspicion of conspiracy against Tunisia's security. This case follows a wave of arrests targeting opposition figures in recent months, which critics of Saied have described as a political campaign aimed at silencing dissent, a claim that the president denies. Human rights advocates have expressed concerns over a new wave of arrests.
Al-Shawashi stated that the list of suspects in the case includes Ghannouchi, who is already in prison, former Prime Minister Chahed, and Nadia Akacha, the former director of Saied's office. She added that the list also includes Mohamed Rayan Hamzawi, the former mayor of Zahra in the capital Tunis, a retired military officer, and journalist Sheraz Akacha. The judge issued a decision on Tuesday to imprison Hamzawi and the retired military officer, according to Al-Shawashi. Al-Shawashi, who is representing Hamzawi, claimed that the decision to imprison her client is unjust and lacks any evidence. She stated that he was imprisoned solely on the grounds that he had contact with Nadia Akacha, the former director of Saied's office, who resigned from her position. She further noted that Hamzawi and Akacha were sworn enemies and had no contact with each other.
