Mraihi joins a rising listing of political opponents of President Saied who’re in jail or going through prosecution.
The pinnacle of Tunisia’s Republican Union Celebration, Lotfi Mraihi, who introduced his intention to run within the presidential elections scheduled for October, has been arrested on suspicion of cash laundering.
In response to native politicians and media, the arrest passed off on Wednesday within the province of Nabeul, in northeastern Tunisia.
A Tunisian court docket spokesman stated earlier this week that Mraihi, one in all President Kais Saied’s most outstanding critics, faces fees of cash laundering and opening financial institution accounts overseas with no license from the central financial institution.
Mraihi’s arrest comes as opposition events, a lot of whose leaders are in jail, accused Saied’s authorities of placing stress on the judiciary to trace down Saied’s rivals in upcoming elections and pave the way in which for him to win a second time period.
Saied, elected president in 2019, has not formally introduced his candidacy for the elections, on account of be held on October 6, however is broadly anticipated to run for a second time period. Final 12 months he stated he wouldn’t hand over energy to these he known as unpatriotic.
Abir Moussi, chief of the Free Constitutional Celebration and a number one candidate, has been in jail since final 12 months on fees of endangering public security.
Moussi’s occasion has stated she was jailed to take away her from the presidential race, a declare denied by authorities.
Different candidates, together with Safi Saeed, Nizar Chaari and Abd Ellatif Mekki, face prosecution on fees together with fraud and cash laundering.
Mondher Znaidi, a outstanding potential candidate who lives in France, can be going through prosecution on suspicion of corruption.
The opposition says honest and credible elections can’t be held until jailed politicians are launched and the media is allowed to function with out authorities stress.
In 2021, Saied seized virtually all powers, dissolved parliament and commenced ruling by decree, a transfer the opposition describes as a coup.
He oversaw the drafting of a brand new structure, accredited by referendum in 2022, that established a presidential system and weakened parliament.
Saied stated his measures had been authorized and obligatory to finish years of rampant corruption among the many political elite.
Distinguished opponents of the president have been detained since final 12 months on fees of plotting in opposition to state safety in a crackdown that included businessmen, media figures and politicians.