Investigation into Ennahdha’s secret apparatus closed (lawyer)

Tunis: The investigation into the case of the 'Ennahdha movement's secret apparatus' had been closed at the beginning of the week and the case had been referred to the indictment division, lawyer Imen Gzara said on Friday.The latter who is a member of the defence team in the case of Chokri Belais and Mohamed Brahmi, explained in a statement to TAP that the investigating judge at the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Division had informed the defence and the civil party of this decision.The defendants are the leaders of the United Democratic Patriots Party and the Popular Current, in addition to the families of the two martyrs.The defendants, including former security officials and Ennahdha movement leaders, had also been informed of the end of the investigations, she specified.In September 2023, the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Ariana Court of First Instance referred the case of the Ennahdha movement's "secret apparatus" to the judicial counter-terrorism division. This case was brought at the beginning of 2022 following a complaint lodged by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the defence team of Chokri Belaïd and Mohamed Brahmi, assassinated in February and July 2013, respectively.Last April, member of the defence team lawyer Koutheir Boualleg stated that the hearings at the judicial counter-terrorismdivision had included 35 people suspected of belonging to the secret apparatus of the Ennahdha movement, in addition to security officials. This followed a complaint lodged by the United Democratic Patriots Party, the Popular Movement and the family of Mohamed Brahmi.The defendants in this case include Rached Ghannouchi, Samir Hanachi, Fethi Beldi, Kamel Laifi and Kamel Bedoui, Rached Ghannouchi's security adviser.The defence team of Belaïd and Brahmi accuse the 'secret apparatus of Ennahdha' of involvement in the assassination of the two leaders in 2013, as well as of spying and infiltrating state institutions.The team also accuse the movement's leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, who is currently fa cing prosecution in other cases, of directing and supervising this secret apparatus, which the movement has denied.Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse