For the second time in two days, Tunisian police raided the headquarters of the bar association and apprehended a lawyer, as reported by witnesses on Monday.
This incident follows the weekend detention of two journalists and another lawyer who had criticized President Kais Saied.
In a live broadcast on TUNMEDIA, shattered glass doors and overturned chairs were visible as police arrested lawyer Mahdi Zagrouba, a well-known figure for his opposition to President Saied. Screams from other lawyers echoed in the background during the arrest.
On Saturday, authorities raided the premises of the Tunisian Order of Lawyers and detained Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer renowned for her outspoken criticism of President Saied.
Dahmani’s arrest came after she expressed her views on a television program last week, stating that
Tunisia was not a pleasant place to live.
Her remarks were made in response to President Saied’s assertion that there was a conspiracy to encourage thousands of undocumented migrants from Sub-Saharan countries to remain in Tunisia.
Several opposition parties characterized the raid on the lawyers’ building over the weekend as “a shocking and significant escalation,” prompting the bar association to announce a nationwide strike.
On Monday, numerous lawyers, including Zagrouba, congregated in front of the courtroom, chanting slogans such as “What a shame, the lawyers and the judiciary are under siege”.
In response, the Interior Ministry released a statement asserting that “the judicial decision against Zagrouba was a result of his physical and verbal assault on two policemen earlier today near the courtroom”.
On Monday, Tunisia’s public prosecutor prolonged the detention of two journalists, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaiss, who were arrested on Saturday for comments made on radio and social media in an unrelated incident.
Lawyer Kalthoum Kanou, present at the scene, described it as a “horror scene”, stating, “Police entered in a dramatic manner, arresting Zagrouba and dragging him to the ground before some of them returned to smash the door glass.”
Saied assumed office after free elections in 2019, but two years later, he expanded his powers by dissolving the elected parliament and transitioning to rule by decree.
Additionally, he took control of the judiciary, a move labeled as a coup by the opposition.
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