Tunisian president takeover sparks fears for freedoms – MENAFN.COM

Tunisian president takeover sparks fears for freedoms – MENAFN.COM

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) Concern is mounting over freedoms in Tunisia as President Kais Saied presses ahead with a"purge" that has seen politicians, judges and businessmen arrested or banned from travel, activists say. On July 25, Saied sacked the government and suspended parliament for one month citing powers he says were granted by the constitution, but he has yet to reveal a"roadmap" for his decisions despite repeated demands by political parties. Saied's shock move has sparked uncertainties for Tunisia, where the Arab Spring began a decade ago, setting in motion pro-democracy revolts across the region that unseated certain leaders. Tunisia is mired in a political crisis compounded by dire economic woes and the Covid-19 pandemic. Several politicians, businessmen and judges, as well as members of parliament — who lost their immunity after Saied suspended the legislature — have said they were banned from travelling abroad or put under house arrest without prior warning. Their claims have sparked a chorus of condemnation, with critics denouncing"arbitrary" and"unjustified" measures. But Saied offered a stiff response to his critics during a recent visit to the Tunis-Carthage International Airport. "The freedom to travel is a constitutional right which I promise to guarantee," he said. "But