The defence committee for those arrested in the so-called "plot against state security" case has announced that a delegation from the Council of Europe will arrive in Tunis this week to seek clarification on the charges against European diplomats in connection with the case. During a press conference in Tunis on Tuesday, lawyers claimed that the Tunisian government had "implicated" foreign diplomats in a "criminal and terrorist" affair, thereby creating a "diplomatic crisis". In this regard, lawyer Dalila Ben M'barek stated that members of the Council of Europe would be in Tunis to inquire about the progress of the case, particularly the alleged involvement of the diplomats concerned. Ben M'barek also announced that the defence lawyers and the Coordination of the Families of those detained in connection with this case would be holding a protest next Thursday to demand the release of the detainees, calling on political and civil forces to take part. The arrests in the so-called "conspiracy against state security" case date back to February 2023. They have targeted opposition politicians, lawyers and businessmen. A spokesperson for the Judicial Anti-Terrorism Department said on April 1 that preliminary investigations had revealed that the parties were supervising "suspicious online sites" that had posted leaked transcripts of conversations from the ongoing investigation into the state security plot case on social media. In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by TAP, the spokesman said that the investigations had also identified the people who had provided the managers of the sites with the transcripts, adding that this constituted "an attack on state institutions and an attempt to damage Tunisia's diplomatic relations."
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse