Tunisia military prosecutors investigates journalist for ‘harming public order’

By Tarek Amara

TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisian army prosecutors mentioned on Saturday they’d begun investigating a journalist on suspicion of “harming public order” for saying the president had requested the military to shut a strong labour union’s headquarters, and a witness mentioned the reporter had been arrested.

The journalist, Salah Attia, advised Al Jazeera on Saturday that President Kais Saied had requested the military to shut the headquarters of the UGTT union and put political leaders below home arrest, however that the military had refused.

“Police in civilian garments arrested Attia in a restaurant within the suburb of Ibn Khaldoun within the capital,” the witness, who was with Attia, advised Reuters by cellphone.

Authorities couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.

Saied has been dealing with rising criticism that he seeks to consolidate one-man rule since seizing energy final summer season in a transfer his opponents known as a coup. He subsequently put aside the 2014 structure to rule by decree and dismissed the elected parliament.

The president final month known as for a nationwide dialogue to arrange a “new structure for a brand new republic” and excluded foremost political events. Different main gamers such because the UGTT refused to take part in what it mentioned could be a dialogue with a predetermined end result.

The chief of the UGTT, which has a few 1 million members, mentioned on Thursday it was being “focused” by authorities after it refused to take part within the talks.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Enhancing by Kevin Liffey and Jonathan Oatis)