Tunisia’s president has sacked 57 judges on Wednesday, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists, as he seeks to remodel the country’s political system after consolidating one-man rule. In a televised address President Kais Saied said he had given opportunity after opportunity and warning after warning to the judiciary to purify itself”. Hours later, the official gazette published a decree announcing the dismissals.
Among those sacked was Youssef Bouzaker, the former head of the Supreme Judicial Council, which Saied dissolved in February. The council had acted as the main guarantor of judicial independence since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution and the move fueled accusations that Saied was interfering in the judicial process. Last July, Saied also dismissed the government and seized executive power before setting aside the 2014 constitution and dismissing the country’s elected parliament.
Chidozie Chima | September 20, 2024
