Sacked Tunisian judges to go on hunger strike in protest against President Saied's purge

Sacked Tunisian judges to go on hunger strike in protest against President Saied's purge
The judges dismissed by President Kais Saied will go on hunger strike to demand the decree used to sack them be overturned, and the restoration of the Tunisian judiciary's autonomy.
2 min read
23 June, 2022
President Saied's dismissal of dozens of judges prompted widespread condemnation and nationwide strikes [Getty]

Three judges in have announced that they will go on hunger strike to protest their dismissal by , according to a statement released Wednesday.

As part of their strike, the judges - Ramzi Bahria, Mohamed Taher Kanzari, and Hammadi Rahmani - are demanding the annulment of the that enabled their sacking, according to the statement obtained by online news siteUltra Tunisia.

In their statement, the interference of the president and demanded the restoration of the judiciary's autonomy. They branded Saied's power-grabbing decrees "unconstitutional’ and illegal".

They also urged the immediate return of the dismissed judges and the lifting of any grievances against them, as well as the opening of an investigation against all involved in their dismissal.

Earlier this month, issued a decree extending his power over Tunisia's judiciary, sacking 57 judges amid a mass purge. Opponents have decried this and the dissolving of parliament as a coup.

Saied accused the judges of "corruption, cover-ups and protecting terrorist suspects", which theJudges Association said was mostly "politically motivated".

The decree subsequently led to a since 6 June by multiple unions, who described the president's dismissal of judges as unconstitutional.

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On Thursday, judges are expected to hold a 'national day of anger' in front of the Palais de Justice courthouse in Tunis in protest against the purge, reported Arabi21.

Saied, who came into power in 2019, launched a series of last year, sacking the government and suspending parliament.

The president's actions have drawn condemnation from rights groups, as fears that the country sliding into autocracy mount.