Authorities in Tunisia have issued an arrest warrant for former presidential candidate Nabil Karoui and his brother, Ghazi, who were reportedly detained in neighbouring Algeria days earlier.
Karoui was runner-up in Tunisia’s 2019 presidential election, which was won by Tunisian president Kais Saied who in July suspended the parliament and gave himself sweeping powers.
Karoui, the CEO of Karoui & Karoui World and owner of the television station, Nessma TV, was reportedly arrested alongside his brother in Algeria. Ghazi is a member of the Tunisian parliament.
On Tuesday Riadh al-Nouioui, spokesman for the Kasserine court in central Tunisia said an “arrest warrant has been issued against Nabil and Ghazi Karoui for illegally crossing the border”.
He added that a person suspected of helping the duo leave the country had been arrested the day before.
It wouldn’t be the first time Karoui has been arrested by Tunisian authorities. He was arrested on financial corruption and tax evasion charges in December last year and released in June 2021 on the orders of the judiciary.
In 2019, the leader of the Qalb Tounès party was arrested in the middle of his presidential campaign, spending more than a month in prison
According to an agreement between Algeria and Tunisia, either country may extradite any person prosecuted or convicted in the other country.
Extradition requests must be accompanied by an official document from the authorities.