The Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) has called for the prosecution of lawyers Islem Hamza and Dalila Msaddek to be dropped following their statements in the case of "conspiracy against state security". The Tunis Court of Appeal, on September 28, ordered the Public Prosecutor of the Tunis Court of First Instance to refer the two lawyers to investigation for discussing this ongoing case in the media. Habib Torkhani, spokesperson for the Court of Appeal, told TAP on Friday that the two lawyers were also accused of attributing wrongdoing to a public official. Torkhani told TAP by telephone that the investigating judge had previously banned media coverage of the case. This decision was approved by the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Division. The investigating judge of the 36th chamber of the Counter-Terrorism Division had issued a decision banning media coverage of matters related to the case of conspiracy against state security. Division spokesperson, Hanen Gaddes told TAP last June 16 that the decision was taken "to ensure the smooth running of the investigation and to protect the personal data of those under investigation". According to the LTDH, these charges are "another link in the chain of repeated violations of the right to defence in this case, as well as an attempt to target the legal profession". The league has called on the authorities to stop "using the judiciary to eliminate political opponents".

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse