Noureddine Boutar, director of the most listened to the radio in Tunisia, was arrested as well as nine political figures during a thread launched by the authorities in early February.
MO12345lemonde with AFP
The owner owned by private Tunisian radio Mosaic FM is prosecuted for “money laundering and illegal enrichment”, said his lawyers on Wednesday, February 22, denouncing a “political” file in retaliation for a critical program.
Noureddine Boutar, director of the most listened to the radio in Tunisia, was arrested as well as nine political figures during a thread launched by the authorities in early February. A deposit warrant was issued Monday evening against Mr. Boutar, according to his lawyers, who had said after his arrest that his interrogation had addressed the station’s editorial line.
During a press conference on Wednesday, they indicated that their client was prosecuted for “money laundering and illegal enrichment”. “These accusations are unfounded and have nothing to do with any crime,” said Ayoub Ghdamssi. “This file is political par excellence”.
According to this lawyer, Mr. Boutar is the victim of reprisals for the power for the Midi-show program “which disturbs the authorities and poses a problem for them by his free voices believing in freedom of expression”. Launched in 2011, Midi-Show, the successful program of the station which reviews political news in Tunisia, often invites critical workers in the policy of the Kais President Saied.
“and the dispute”
Amnesty International considered that the recent wave of arrests was “a deliberate attempt aimed at stifling the challenge, in particular criticism with regard to the president”, and exhorted the latter to “put an end to this motivated witch hunt by political considerations “.
Wednesday afternoon, the secretary general of the Al Joumhouri party, Issam Chebbi, was arrested by around twenty plain plain plain police in Ariana, in Greater Tunis, his brother Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, president told AFP, From the National Salvation Front, the main coalition of the opposition.
During the night of Wednesday to Thursday, opponent Chayma Issa, an FSN official, was arrested by plainclothes police who searched her house before taking her to the Bouchoucha anti -terrorist police brigade in Tunis , said to AFP his father Hagui Issa.
President Saïed, who has taken full power since July 2021, qualified those arrested as “terrorists” and accused them of conspiring “against state security” and manipulating the prices of products basic to foment social tensions.