Tunisian President Kais Saied raised the controversy once again with a statement in which he said that “the judiciary is a function and not the authority of the self that is independent of the state,” following a meeting with judges of the highest ranks, which angered public opinion.

The response was not delayed from the Supreme Judicial Council, which issued a statement only hours after Saeed’s statements, as the Council expressed its adherence to its firm position and its rejection of prejudice to the judiciary.

A large number of prominent judges, lawyers and politicians expressed their refusal to interfere in the judiciary, calling on the president to stop unilaterally making decisions and seizing powers, because this is a return to the tyranny and dictatorship regime.

real desire to control

In a statement toArabic21The judge and head of the Young Judges Association, Murad Al-Masoudi, said: “There is a real tendency on the part of the President of the Republic, Qais Saeed, to control the judiciary, and it has existed since the second day after the announcement of the procedures for the twenty-fifth of July. He openly expressed his desire to be head of the Public Prosecution And when he found that this made him embarrassed, he corrected and fell silent, to return again and try to control all the authorities.”

Murad Al-Masoudi added: “The president wants to rule over all authorities, and therefore he now wants to put his hand on the judiciary, so that he can set the system he wants, the nature of which we do not know, but it is clear that it is the rule of the one controlling person according to what he wants.”

Judge Al-Masoudi stressed that the president’s tendency to control is undoubtedly certain, and he is trying with all his might to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council, and thus effective and complete control over the judges. as he put it.

The head of the Young Judges Association warned that the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council would be a complete destruction of the state.

In turn, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Youssef Bouzacher, said that judicial reform can never be achieved in exceptional circumstances and through presidential decrees, and the council is the only guarantee of the independence of the judiciary.

In a radio statement on Wednesday, Bozacher considered that if the president dissolves the parliament, this is a step backwards.

Escalation and solidarity

Regarding the steps and the role that the judges will take to protect their independence in the event the president puts his hand on the judicial facility, Judge Murad Al-Masoudi revealed that “all professional structures will be organized in one row against his destructive decision and will stand up to it, and will stand with full force against the tendency to tighten control over the judiciary.”

Judge Al-Masoudi explained that the statement of the Supreme Judicial Council issued after the meeting of the heads of judicial councils with the president is the best evidence that the judges are aware of what the latter seeks, and their response to him was clear by not allowing him to do so.

In turn, Judge Reda Al-Majdoub said in a special statement toArabic21“If Qais Saeed resolves to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council, it will deepen his international isolation before the interior, and he will flounder in sharp nets that may not be merciful to him today and tomorrow.”

Judge Majdoub warned, “The president should not forget that we are judges, and we know very well that he wants to control the judiciary.”

The various sensitivities in Tunisia from lawyers, politicians and parties unanimously agreed in their full and unconditional solidarity with the judiciary, strongly condemning the president’s attempt to interfere in the judiciary.

The Coordination of “Lawyers to Protect Rights and Freedoms” issued a statement expressing its “rejection of any interference of any kind by the executive authority in the affairs of the judiciary and its condemnation of any prejudice to the principle of separation of powers, in violation of the requirements of the 2014 constitution.”

The group affirmed the “constitutionality of the Supreme Judicial Council,” warning of “the consequences of prejudice to it by the executive authority,” according to the text of the statement.

The group called on all those involved in the judicial annex to rally around the Supreme Judicial Council and to struggle to consolidate the independence of the judiciary in Tunisia.