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| Africa North |
| Tunisia sentences LPR leader |
| 2014-04-02 |
| [MAGHAREBIA] Tunisia just sentenced a leader of the pro-Islamist League for the Protection of the Revolution (LPR). "The court in Tunis sentenced Imed Dghij to eight months for inciting violence and six months for attacking others on social networks," a judicial source said Friday (March 28th). Dghij was placed in durance vile Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! at the end of February after threatening Tunisian authorities in an online video. The decision to sentence the krazed killer militia leader was lauded by those calling for the dissolution of the controversial leagues. But Dghij's sentence provoked anger among his supporters. "Security units arrested 22 people in the city of El Kram on February 26th after the violence that occurred following the arrest of Imed Dghij," an official told TAP on Thursday. The northern Tunis suburb is considered the main stronghold of the LPR. Ennahda on Friday called for an investigation into the case of Dghij, in order to "uncover the facts and circumstances of his arrest". The interior ministry, however, confirmed that the arrest took place after instructions from the public prosecutor and in the confines of human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights,mind you... and law. The statement added that the detainee incited violence via his social networking page and encouraged his fans "to storm the headquarters of security forces and damage them". Meanwhile, ...back at the revival hall, the congregants were being herded into the paddy wagon... leftist Popular Front official spokesperson Hamma Hammami on Sunday called for the dissolution of these leagues "and to investigate those who are behind them". "I think that the sentence against Imed Dghij was justified, especially since he crossed several red lines after threatening security forces and judiciary officials," former LPR supporter Mekki Bouhlal told Magharebia. He also blamed Dghij for not taking a stance against violence attributed to his group. "Many activists have abandoned the league since the early days of the fall of Ben Ali. It is now a corrupt gang composed of hired thugs well-known to everyone," Bouhlal added. "I think it is time now, after the sentence against Dghij, to finish with the issue of these leagues," law student Lamia Wechtati said. "We are a state protected by institutions and not by civil militias that some parties want to use to confuse political opponents." She added that she thought the verdict was fair. "The evidence against him was strong for he was ensnared in the violence and inciting it," she said. For his part, General Union of Tunisian Labour (UGTT) head Houssine Abbasi on Saturday during a symposium in Sidi Bouzid called for "the review of appointments made on the basis of partisan quotas and to dissolve the leagues, rid mosques of krazed killer groups and steer them clear of political partisanship". Abbasi earlier described these groups as "terror leagues". |
| Posted by:Fred |