Tunisian MP Jaziri Arrested Over ‘Illegal’ Broadcast of Quran Radio Station

The public prosecutor of Zaghouan’s Court of First Instance has authorised the arrest of Saïd Jaziri, owner of Radio Quran Karim.

Judicial sources say his arrest is based on a complaint filed against him by the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication. He is accused of breaking a seal placed on the door by the authorities and proceeding with illegal broadcast.

54 year old Jaziri was elected as member of parliament for the Ben Arous constituency in 2019, representing Errahma party. 

He was deported from Canada in 2007 after losing his refugee status for not declaring his criminal record in France, when he first arrived in the country. 

Jaziri is the fifth MP to be arrested since President Kais Saied’s suspension of parliament and seizure of executive powers on July 25, in what his opponents have called “a constitutional coup”.

Independent MP Faycal Tebini was also arrested last week over “defamation on social media”.

Maher Zid and Mohamed Affes, both members of the Al-Karama party have also been arrested by Tunisian security services. They were placed in provisional detention in connection with a military investigation.

Their arrest follows the detention of an independent MP, Yassine Ayari, who was arrested for calling Saied’s decision to suspend parliament and sack the Prime Minister and other top officials a “military coup”.

Saied removed parliamentary immunity of lawmakers thereby paving the way for their potential prosecution. Recently, after Ridha Gharsallaoui was confirmed as the new interior minister, the head of state removed the director of state television, Mohamed Lassaad Dahech. In his place, Awatef Dali was temporarily appointed.