Faith Nyasuguta
A Tunisian court has frozen the bank accounts of several key opponents to President Kais Saied, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party.
This week, the Tunisian Financial Analysis Committee issued a statement informing banks they must “immediately implement the ruling from the investigating judge of the anti-terrorism pole”.
The statement encompassed a list including Ghannouchi, his son Mouadh, former prime minister Hamadi Jebali and former foreign minister Rafik Abdessalem, all of whom are or were key Ennahdha figures.
The statement did not make it clear why the order had been issued.
Already, a court had imposed a travel ban on Ghannouchi late last month over a probe into high-profile political assassinations that rocked the country in 2013.
Jabali is under investigation for alleged money-laundering in relation to foreign funds transferred to a Tunisian charity. He was arrested for several days last month before being released.
He is set to appear before an anti-terror court on July 20.
Tunisia’s long-running political crisis took a dramatic turn last July when Saied sacked the government, froze the Ennahdha-dominated parliament headed by Ghannouchi, and seized far-reaching powers.
Last week he commissioned a draft constitution set for referendum on July 25, the anniversary of his power grab.
Opponents have accused him of waging political vendettas and dragging the country back to dictatorship, over a decade since its pro-democracy revolt sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.
