Rached Ghannouchi, speaker of dissolved parliament, advised to seem at police station after arrests of president’s critics.

Tunisian police have summoned the top of the most important opposition celebration for questioning after a string of arrests concentrating on critics of President Kais Saied have raised considerations over free speech and political rights.

Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahdha celebration and speaker of an elected parliament that Saied formally dissolved final yr, has been requested to current himself at a Tunis police station on Tuesday, Ennahdha spokesperson Zayneb Brahmi mentioned.

Police haven’t revealed the aim of the investigation, Reuters quoted Brahmi as saying at a information briefing. There was no quick remark by the Ministry of the Inside.

Ghannouchi was questioned a number of instances final yr on suspicion of illicit funding for Ennahdha and serving to ship Tunisian fighters to Syria to help ISIL (ISIS) fighters. The celebration has denied the accusations towards Ghannouchi, and judges determined to not maintain him in detention pending investigation.

Ennahdha, the biggest celebration within the parliament earlier than its dissolution, has performed a number one function in successive coalition governments since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, which led to democratic rule.

After successful the 2019 presidential election, Saied seized most powers in 2021, shutting down parliament and shifting to rule by decree earlier than rewriting the structure. His critics, together with Ennahdha, have denounced his actions as an anti-democratic coup.

The president says his actions are authorized and crucial to avoid wasting Tunisia from chaos and has described his foes as traitors, blaming them for the nation’s financial and political woes.

Ongoing arrests

This month, police arrested a number of main figures crucial of Saied. The coordinated arrests have raised fears of a wider crackdown on dissent and prompted the UN Human Rights Workplace to name for the detainees’ quick launch.

Abdelhamid Jelassi, a former politician from Ennahdha, was detained on the evening of February 11. Jelassi’s spouse, Mounia Brahim, advised Al Jazeera the boys confirmed neither police IDs nor a warrant, even when requested for them.

That very same evening, Khayam al-Turki, a member of the centre-left Ettakatol (Democratic Discussion board for Labour and Liberties) celebration, was taken from his home after midnight and is at the moment detained below terrorism legal guidelines from 2015.

On February 13, police raided the house of Noureddine Bhiri, a senior Ennahdha official, in addition to that of political activist and lawyer Lazhar Akremi.

The fees towards these detained haven’t been made public, however Saied mentioned final week that a few of these arrested have been “criminals who have been plotting towards state safety”.

In the meantime, 1000’s of union members held protests throughout the nation on Saturday and Sunday to denounce worsening financial woes and the arrest of a prime union official, Anis Kaabi.

Kaabi was arrested on January 31 after a strike by toll barrier staff, in what the union has described as “a blow to union work and a violation of union rights”.

The highly effective UGTT labour union has grow to be more and more vocal in opposing Saied and mentioned on Monday that it will carry ahead a protest in Tunis by one week to March 4.