Tunisian authorities put Abdel Karim Harouni, a top Ennahda Islamist Party official, under house arrest, as per the main opposition coalition.
Harouni, who leads the Shura Council within Ennahda, the largest parliamentary party before President Kais Saied’s 2021 closure of parliament, now faces house arrest.
The Salvation Front coalition condemned Harouni’s arrest as part of a broader crackdown on Ennahda leaders and the closure of its headquarters.
This year, the police detained Ennahda’s leader Rached Ghannouchi, a vocal critic of the president.
This is besides other party members like Noureddine Bhiri, Riadh Bettaib, Said Ferjani, Sahbi Atigue, and Mohamed Ben Salem.
The Tunisian government also prohibited gatherings at Ennahda offices and shut down all party branches, which Ennahda viewed as a step towards a dictatorial regime.
In 2021, President Saied dissolved the elected parliament, leading to accusations of a coup. It also prompted arrests of prominent political figures, whom he labeled “terrorists, traitors, and criminals.”
Opposition parties and rights groups, both local and international, have criticized these arrests as politically motivated and called for the detainees’ release.
Earlier, the Italian Interior Minister announced collaborating with Tunisia to fight cross-border criminal elements that manage human trafficking networks.
Matteo Bianchedi stated: “The joint Italian-Tunisian operations room has devised an action plan to intensify efforts against smugglers.”
He added: “The room will convene once again next week.”
The agency also highlighted that the Italian minister conducted a fruitful, extended phone conversation with his Tunisian counterpart, Kamal Al-Faqih.
The Ministry of Interior announced that a phone call took place between Minister Kamal Al-Faqih and his Italian counterpart, Bianchedi.
