Tunisia: arrest of former head of government Hamadi Jebali

Tunisian security forces arrested former head of government Hamadi Jebali on Tuesday. This arrest raises questions in a context of political crisis in Tunisia, marked by growing tensions between President Kais Saïed and the opposition.

Former Tunisian head of government Hamadi Jebali has been arrested by Tunisian security forces, according to local media. This arrest took place after a search of his residence in the governorate of Sousse, in eastern Tunisia.

Wahida Trabelsi, Jebali’s wife, confirmed the arrest, saying that a police brigade had burst into their home early in the morning without explaining the reasons for this measure. She also noted that her husband, who had recently undergone surgery, was in critical health at the time of his arrest.

A series of arrests

Hamadi Jebali, affiliated with the Ennahdha movement, led the Tunisian government from December 2011 to February 2013. He also ran as a candidate in the 2019 presidential elections. In May 2022, Jebali and his wife were arrested for “possession of dangerous materials” but were released the same day following pressure from civil society.

In June 2022, the former head of government was arrested again, this time as part of a money laundering case linked to transfers from abroad to a charitable organization in Tunisia, according to the Ministry of Defense. ‘Interior.

His new arrest comes in a context of political crisis in Tunisia, marked by growing tensions between President Kais Saïed and the opposition. Since February 11, the Tunisian authorities have carried out several arrests of opposition leaders and activists. These measures are strongly criticized by the opposition, who consider them an attack on the 2014 Constitution and a consolidation of presidential power.