Mraihi joins a rising listing of President Saied’s political opponents who’re in jail or going through prosecution.
The top of Tunisia’s Republican Union Occasion, Lotfi Mraihi, who has introduced his intention to run in a presidential election set for October, has been arrested on suspicion of cash laundering.
In accordance with politicians and native media experiences, the arrest occurred on Wednesday in Nabeul province in northeastern Tunisia.
A Tunis court docket spokesman mentioned earlier this week that Mraihi, one in all President Kais Saied’s most distinguished critics, faces costs of cash laundering and opening financial institution accounts overseas with no licence from the central financial institution.
Mraihi’s arrest comes as opposition events, lots of whose leaders are in jail, accused Saied’s authorities of exerting strain on the judiciary to trace down Saied’s rivals within the upcoming election and pave the best way for him to win a second time period.
Elected president in 2019, Saied has not formally introduced his candidacy for the election, which is ready for October 6, however he’s broadly anticipated to hunt a second time period. He mentioned final 12 months that he wouldn’t hand energy to what he referred to as nonpatriots.
Abir Moussi, the chief of the Free Constitutional Occasion and a distinguished candidate, has been in jail since final 12 months on costs of harming public safety.
Moussi’s celebration mentioned she was imprisoned to take away her from the presidential race, a declare denied by the authorities.
Different candidates – together with Safi Saeed, Nizar Chaari and Abd Ellatif Mekki – are going through prosecution on costs reminiscent of fraud and cash laundering.
Mondher Znaidi, a distinguished potential candidate who resides in France, can also be going through prosecution on suspicion of corruption.
The opposition says honest and credible elections can’t be held until imprisoned politicians are launched and the media are allowed to work with out strain from the federal government.
In 2021, Saied seized nearly all powers, dissolved parliament and commenced ruling by decree, a transfer that the opposition describes as a coup.
He oversaw the writing of a new constitution, permitted by referendum in 2022, which established a presidential system and weakened parliament.
Saied mentioned his steps have been authorized and mandatory to finish years of rampant corruption among the many political elite.
Distinguished opponents of the president have been detained since final 12 months on costs of conspiring towards state safety in a crackdown that included businessmen, media figures and politicians.