Head of Tunisian Ennahda Movement Rached Ghannouchi Attacks “Tyranny and Exclusion,” While Lawyer and Former MP Seifeddine Makhlouf is Arrested
1/19/2026 | Last Update: 01:27 (Mecca Time)
On Sunday, marking one thousand days of his imprisonment, the head of the Tunisian Ennahda movement, Rached Ghannouchi, stated that “tyranny and exclusion are two sides of the same coin,” calling for adherence to “peaceful struggle for a free Tunisia.” Meanwhile, Tunisian authorities arrested lawyer and former parliamentarian Seifeddine Makhlouf following his deportation from Algeria.
Ghannouchi’s remarks came in a message published by the Ennahda movement on its Facebook page. The former speaker of the Tunisian parliament noted that his “ordeal has become a measure of the extent to which various parties are committed to the principles of democracy and citizenship.”
The head of the Ennahda movement stated that since its founding, the movement “has not exercised a veto against any party inside or outside the country,” adding that “the mistake was in arresting a political party, not in recognizing another, because we believe that freedom is wide enough for everyone.”
Ghannouchi has been in prison since his arrest on April 17, 2023, following a raid on his home on charges of inciting against state security. Several prison sentences have been issued against him in various cases.
Detention of a Lawyer
On Sunday, the Public Prosecution in Tunisia ordered the detention of lawyer and former MP Seifeddine Makhlouf after his deportation from Algeria to serve sentences against him. Makhlouf faces a five-year prison sentence in absentia on charges of conspiring against internal state security.
Makhlouf is a staunch opponent of President Saied’s policies and was a member of parliament representing the “Dignity Coalition” in the dissolved parliament when the Tunisian President announced exceptional measures on July 25, 2021, on the pretext of fighting corruption and chaos. Algerian authorities had arrested Makhlouf in July 2024 on charges of entering the country illegally.
In a related context, families of several “political” prisoners from diverse backgrounds in Tunisia announced last Wednesday the establishment of a coordination committee aimed at “unifying efforts” to secure their release. The announcement was made on the symbolic date of January 14, 2026, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime following a popular uprising.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
An independent media platform providing reliable news and objective analysis, seeking to promote peace and cultural dialogue worldwide, to convey the truth and build bridges of understanding between peoples.
For more news, you can visit our homepage:
