Will Tunisian parliament’s recess hinder petition to classify Ennahda as terrorist?

Sarah Rashad

Tunisia’s parliament entered its parliamentary recess at the beginning of August after a working period that lasted more than four months, at a time when some deputies put forward a political petition aimed at collecting signatures agreeing to dissolve the Brotherhood-affiliated Ennahda movement and classifying it as a terrorist entity.

The petition is considered a stone in stagnant waters, and it is resolving the accountability file of the Ennahda movement for the years after the Tunisian revolution, which has been pending since July 25, 2021. More than once, the accountability file for Ennahda was raised, but all proposals were short-term and did not end with their purpose, which is accountability.

The Tunisian state holds many files against the Ennahda movement, but without investigation or proof, including the assassination of opponents, the deportation of Tunisian youth to hotbeds of tension, as well as money laundering and working for foreign countries.

In their interpretation of the petition, the deputies invoked the same charges against Ennahda of receiving suspicious funds from external parties, links to the movement’s secret apparatus involved in cases of political assassinations, and the deportation of young people to hotbeds of tension.

Deputies said that in light of the absolute break with foreign interference that was and is still working to violate Tunisian sovereignty by several international parties through internal agents and to emphasize the principle of equality between states and the right of peoples to self-determination, as endorsed by international agreements and covenants, all national institutions must engage in this national effort with all weight at all levels, the most important of which is the legislative level.

Fate of the petition

Parliament’s recess without resolving the petition seems to make its fate no better than previous attempts to undermine the movement, which although it is in its weakest state after the arrest of its leaders, the Tunisian preoccupation with bad economic conditions prevents serious steps from being taken.

Tunisian political researcher Nizar Jlidi explained in a statement to the Reference what he considered a slowdown in resolving Ennahda’s files due to the elements planted by the movement in all aspects of the state, adding that the movement has followers who obstruct the progress of investigations and the accountability process.

Jlidi stressed that Tunisia is going through difficult times because of the economic situation, adding that it is paying the price for mistakes committed by Ennahda during the ten-year period following 2011.

Tunisia is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis, which translated into the disappearance of some basic commodities from stores, as well as a shortage of fuel. Against this background, observers consider that the cabinet change that President Kais Saied made last week was due to a shortage of goods and the deterioration of economic performance.