Tunisia’s opposition Ennahda says leader faces new investigation

TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia’s Islamist opposition get together Ennahda on Wednesday accused the authorities of trying to intimidate opponents, saying police had opened a brand new investigation into its chief Rached Ghannouchi.

The get together mentioned Ghannouchi was being investigated on suspicion of describing the safety forces as tyrannical, and it denied that he had mentioned this.

Tunisian politics has grown extra acrimonious over the previous yr since President Kais Saied dismissed parliament and seized most powers final yr, enshrining them in a brand new structure that was handed in a referendum final week.

He mentioned his strikes have been crucial to save lots of Tunisia from years of political failure. Ennahda and different events describe them as a coup and say Saied’s new structure and the referendum, during which official figures say 30% of Tunisians voted, are unlawful.

Final month, Ghannouchi was put earlier than a choose to reply questions in a separate investigation into cash laundering, which he and Ennahda additionally deny, calling the accusations bogus political concentrating on.

“What is going on is a brand new episode of concentrating on and intimidating political figures against the coup and a ridiculous try to fabricate a lie,” Ennahda mentioned.

Inside Ministry officers declined to remark.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara, writing by Angus McDowall; Modifying by Frank Jack Daniel and Bernadette Baum)