Tunisian President Kais Saied has accused certain NGOs of being involved in espionage activities, alleging that they serve as extensions of foreign intelligence departments.
During a meeting with top officials, including the Prime Minister and Ministers of Justice and Finance, President Saied emphasized the need to investigate the sources of foreign funds flowing into these NGOs.
Saied disclosed the existence of an overseas association receiving annual billions, allegedly illicitly transferring funds to finance political parties.
Additionally, he pointed to another NGO that reportedly received over two million Tunisian dinars (approximately 700 thousand dollars) from abroad in 2022 alone.
The President insisted that properties confiscated without fair valuation should be returned to the Tunisian people, emphasizing that such actions were taken for the benefit of the state and not hidden or allied lobbies.
Addressing the judiciary, Saied expressed readiness to “reforming the judiciary” and emphasized the importance of judges acting independently, applying the law without interference.
He underscored the need for judicial independence, stating that nothing can be right in Tunisia without an independent judiciary.
Saied issued a warning to criminal monopolists, urging the judiciary to hold those evading penal conciliation accountable.
Furthermore, he announced plans to amend the decree related to penal conciliation to address potential gaps exploited for avoiding financial restitution.
