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A court in Tunisia has convicted former President Moncef Marzouki to four years in prison over charges of assault of the external security of the state, the state news agency, TAP reported.
The judgment was delivered in the absence of the former president.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMarzouki who lives in Paris had criticised President Kais Saied’s seizure of power in July, describing it as a coup, and called for nationwide protests against him. He equally and urged that a major international meeting of French-speaking countries be moved from Tunisia over the development.
Saied had rejected the accusations that his seizure of powers, suspension of parliament, and plans to change the constitution were a coup.
He said he acted to end protracted political instability in the country and disclosed that a referendum will be held next year on a new constitution followed by parliamentary elections.
Foreign donors who needed to help address a looming crisis in Tunisia’s public finances have urged President Saeid to restore normal constitutional order, emphasizing that democracy and freedom of speech are important to their relationship with the North African country.
After Tunisia’s 2011 revolution that introduced democracy, an elected assembly appointed Marzouki as the interim president, overseeing the transition to a new constitution in 2014.
