the authorities close the offices of the Islamist party Ennahdha

New turn of the screw in Tunisia. The offices of the Islamist and conservative party Ennahdha were closed by the authorities throughout the national territory on Tuesday April 18, said a party official. This operation comes the day after the arrest of the head of Ennahdha, Rached Ghannouchi, at his home in Tunis.

“A police force showed up at the party’s main headquarters (in Tunis) and ordered everyone inside to get out before closing it down”told AFP one of the leaders of Ennahdha, Riadh Chaibi. “The police also closed other party offices everywhere else in the country and banned all meetings in these premises”he added.

A wave of arrests after controversial remarks

Aged 81, Rached Ghannouchi led the Tunisian Parliament until its dissolution in July 2021. He is the most prominent opponent to be arrested since the coup by President Kais Saied, who seized full powers after bringing parliamentarians to heel. The arrest of the Islamic-conservative leader came after statements reported by the media, in which he explained that Tunisia would be threatened with a “civil war” if political Islam, from which his party originated, was eliminated there. In addition to Rached Ghannouchi, two other Ennahdha leaders, Mohamed Goumani and Belgacem Hassan were also arrested on Monday night, the party said.

Since the beginning of February, the authorities have imprisoned more than twenty opponents and personalities, including ex-ministers, businessmen and the owner of the most listened to radio station in the country, Mosaïque FM. President Kais Saied has also drawn the wrath of the international community after racist remarks that led to eruptions of violence against immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa.