Algeria Authorities arrested Tunisia’s Media Mogul and Former Presidential Candidate Nabil Karoui on Sunday after he entered Algeria secretly and illegally.
Nabil Karoui, the owner of the Nessma television channel and head of the Heart of Tunisia political party, the second-largest in parliament, was arrested with his brother Ghazi Karoui, a lawmaker.
Even though the Tunisian court is still investigating his case, he had spent more than six months in custody on money laundering and tax evasion charges, Karoui was released on June 15.
Karoui previously said he was innocent and that his political opponents were behind his imprisonment.
Karoui has not appeared in public since President Kais Saied dismissed his prime minister, froze parliament, and assumed executive authority last month, in a sudden intervention that his Islamist opponents have labeled a coup.
The two are expected to be brought before the Tebessa examining magistrate on Monday. The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) also confirmed the arrests. Other reports alleged that Karoui and his brother had entered Algeria illegally.
In 2019, Karoui beat most candidates to reach a run-off for the presidency despite spending most of the campaign behind bars. He ultimately lost in a landslide to Saied.