Tunisia: what does the justice system accuse Rached Ghannouchi of?

Facing justice on several counts, Ennahdha boss Rached Ghannouchi is free. But a real legal battle begins for him...

We thought that the future of Rached Ghannouchi would be played on the political field, with an intense showdown with Kaïs Saïed. The President of the Republic wanted to put an end to the head of the Assembly of People's Representatives, which he had dissolved on March 30. The Head of State has started a battle against Ennahdha, to try to put an end to the Islamist party. But having a solid base, Rached Ghannouchi has spent the last few months challenging the president's policies.

But it is another battle which begins, at this moment, for the boss of Ennahdha. Ghannouchi was indeed initially to appear on September 21 before the counter-terrorism judicial pole. After twelve hours of hearing in "inhuman conditions", according to Abdellatif Mekki, the boss of Ennahdha emerged victorious, after a postponement.

The Islamist leader told his supporters who were waiting outside that the file was completely empty. The method in any case raises questions: the former President of the Assembly, aged 81, was left waiting in the premises of the police unit.

“They are trying to accuse Ennahda of terrorism”

Rached Ghannouchi is accused of allegedly sending jihadists to Syria, Libya or even Iraq, in post-2011 Tunisia. Also leader of Ennahdha, former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh was also questioned in this same case. Like Ghannouchi, the former resident of the Kasbah was kept in detention and had to be brought before a judge at the counter-terrorism judicial center.

Sent home, after the postponement of his hearing was decided, Ghannouchi said about the president and his entourage: “They were not able to confront a major political opponent at liberty through the ballot box. So they tried to accuse Ennahda of terrorism”. The exit, all smiles, from the court looks like a first victory.

But the man must face other charges, in particular that of money laundering, corruption or even foreign financing. Ennahdha deplores the "fabricated" accusations and believes that the president is trying to distract from "economic and social concerns and the deterioration of living conditions" of Tunisians.