The general situation in the country "in the aftermath of the criminal operation that took place on the island of Djerba" and the follow-up of the measures taken during the meeting of the National Security Council held last Wednesday, were the focus of a meeting held by President of the Republic Kais Saied, Friday afternoon at Carthage Palace, with Prime Minister Najla Bouden Romdhane, Minister of Justice Leïla Jaffel, Minister of National Defence Imad Mamish, Minister of Interior Kamal Elfeki, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Tunisians Abroad Nabil Ammar.

Besides, the president stressed that "Tunisia will remain safe, despite the desperate attempts to undermine its stability, "praising" the efforts deployed by the armed, military and security forces to thwart the plans aimed at the institutions of the state and civil peace," says a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic.

"Those who plan to shed blood are the same ones who seek to create crises, through various means, to inflame economic and social conditions and to abuse people's power and livelihoods," he added.

Commenting on the positions of some capitals on this criminal operation, the Head of State expressed his sincere thanks to the countries that have declared their sympathy for the Tunisian people, reiterating his "rejection of any foreign interference, considering that the sovereignty of Tunisia and the sovereignty of the people within the homeland are two lines that no one can cross.

"Strangely, we are in the 21st century and some people are still talking about Shem and Ham, unless they want to keep the seeds of division and profit from this discourse," said Saied.

In this context, he mentioned several legal texts related to the freedom of belief and freedom to practice religious rites, such as the Constitution of July 25, 2022, the Law No. 78 of 1958 on the System of Rites of the Mosaic Religion, the Journal of Obligations and Contracts and the Journal of Civil and Commercial Pleadings, which "prohibit any act of execution against Jews on the Sabbath and a number of their religious days, and prohibit the same acts against Muslims and Christians, as stated in chapter 292 of the aforementioned Journal".

The meeting also discussed the need to "cleanse the public administration of all those who work within it to disrupt its normal functioning". In this regard, the President stressed that "ministries, public institutions and others cannot carry out their duties in the presence of those who work within them for the benefit of a certain entity and not for the public interest".

The President of the Republic also stressed the need for "the total involvement of judges, in this delicate historical phase experienced by Tunisia, to call to account all those who have dared and still dare to jeopardise civil peace or alter the capacities of the people and the beloved homeland.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse