After the dismissal of 57 of them by the president who spoke of corruption and attack on the proper functioning of justice, the magistrates went on strike. This action should last a week.
At the first instance court in Tunis, only the administrative work is functioning, most of the courtrooms are empty and the striking magistrates gathered in an office to vent their anger, it is reported. Hamadi Rahmani, who is one of the 57 dismissed judges, wonders about the reasons for such presidential aggressiveness. ” Whoever wants to reform justice should not attack the independents and those who campaign for the independence of the judicial sector. Instead the president dismisses but there are also harassment campaigns against certain judges via anonymous posts published on social networks “, he denounces.
A magistrate sacked for indecency was accused of adultery via medical and personal documents published without her knowledge this weekend. She had to defend herself publicly. The climate is judged by Aïcha Belhassen, vice-president of the Association of Tunisian magistrates, humiliating for the judicial sector. ” It is an unprecedented crisis in Tunisia and this crisis cannot continue like this because the magistrates are in solidarity and they have said no to these dismissal decisions without any recourse, without any guarantee “, she notes.
For Aya Riahi, legal adviser for the Tunisian NGO I Watch, an association that fights against corruption, it is transparency that is required of the Tunisian presidency. ” The reasons behind their removal are unclear […] We asked for the umpteenth time to publish the files of the magistrates accused of corruption, they refused […] This ambiguity divides Tunisians […] The lack of transparency creates this controversy […] What is alarming is that the decision was made unilaterally by the president. It is not a reform project, it is rather a destruction of power in Tunisia,” she protests.
Reacting hotly to this movement, K. Saïed summoned the Minister of Justice to suspend the salaries of the striking judges. A demonstration by magistrates and civil society is scheduled for Wednesday 8 June. One more ordeal for the Head of State who intends to carry out, with forceps, the reforms as he foresees them for the new Tunisia, that of the “Third Republic” dit-on.
