Category: National

The Tunis Appeals Court has rejected the appeal filed by seven defendants in the "conspiracy against state security" case against the decision to extend their pre-trial detention by four months. All the defendants remain in custody, Habib Torkhani, spokesman for the Court told TAP on Thursday. He clarified that the appeals filed by the defendants in the case were reviewed on Thursday. Torkhani added that that the appeals were rejected on substantive grounds and reiterated that the decision to extend pre-trial detention was upheld. Defence lawyer Dalila Msaddek had announced, on December 21, 2023, that the pre-trial detention of the defendants in the case of conspiracy against state security had been extended by four months following a decision by the investigating judge. She said this is the second four-month extension of their pre-trial detention, following the one decided in August 2023, six months after the arrest warrants were issued against them on February 24 and 25, 2023. The arrests in this case date back to February 2023. They targeted opposition politicians, lawyers and businessmen. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Saturday, January 13, will mark the start of the month of Rajab in the year 1445 of the Hijri calendar, according to the Mufti of the Tunisian Republic Sheikh Hichem Ben Mahmoud. Friday, January 12, 2024, will therefore be the 30th day of the month of Jumada II in the year 1445 of the Hijri calendar. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Tunisian League of Human Rights (French: LTDH) filed a complaint against «senior officials of the Zionist entity» for crimes against humanity, the League said, on Thursday, urging Tunisian authorities to lodge another complaint to this effect, under international laws and the 2011 Rome Convention ratified by the Tunisian State. At a press conference held by the LTDH, in the headquarters of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), in Tunis, President of the League Bassem Trifi pointed out that "the Israeli crimes committed in the Gaza Strip greatly affect every human conscience," adding that "denying these crimes is, in itself, another crime." Western media are trying to whitewash Zionist crimes, he underscored, stressing the need to address the international justice and stop Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip by all means. Palestinian ambassador in Tunis, Hayel Fahoum, stated that the "Palestinians showed a heroic resistance against the Zionist entity," adding that «it is necessary to fight aga inst any strategy aimed at enslaving the minds.» Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is making an official visit to Tunisia on January 14, 15 and 16, reads a press release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday. The press release was published following a meeting in Tunis which brought together, on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, and Chinese Ambassador in Tunis, Li Wan. The visit of the Chinese minister to Tunisia coincides with the 60th Anniversary of the Tunisian-Chinese Diplomatic Relations, the same source says. The meeting focused on boosting cooperation between Tunisia and China as well as reviewing preparations for the next bilateral events. Nabil Ammar welcomed the privileged cooperative relations uniting the two countries, underlining Tunisia's commitment to further consolidating them. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Save the Nation Movement, a new political party, has been unveiled as it bids to contest the 2024 General Election. At an outdoor ceremony in Accra, supporters, executives, and the presidential candidate wore paraphernalia of the movement, including t-shirts, cloth, and flags, to grace the occasion. Supporters and the leaders of the party alike sang cheerful and patriotic songs to demonstrate their excitement over the launch of the new political movement in Ghana. The emblem of the party consists of a lion, and the colours include yellow and white. In an address to the supporters, Mr Desmond Kwame Abrefa, the presidential candidate, said his decision to contest the 2024 election was based on the social, economic, and political deficit the country was facing. He said the challenges confronting the country required a new kind of leadership to break the political duopoly that had marked Ghana's fourth republican democracy. 'When we look at the level of development in the country, it is clear that Ghan a has no future. Clearly, roads, markets, health centres, and educational structures are not up to the standard as compared to most developing and developed countries across the globe,' he said. Mr Abrefa also said the future of the country lied in the hands of leaders who understood the progress and development of the country. The presidential candidate also bemoaned the policy formulation approach of the country, saying the adherence to the party manifesto instead of a long-term national development plan by political parties in government had occasioned the development deficit of the country. When given the nod to become the country's president, Mr Abrefa promised to run an all-inclusive government that would feature resource persons from various fields and political parties. 'I believe that every individual, regardless of party affiliation, has something good to offer the nation; as such, creating a politically inclusive government will ensure that all of the country's human resources are utilised for the benefit of the nation as a whole,'' he said. The Movement promised to develop the human resource potential of the country, notably the youth, to reduce the reliance on foreign experts. Mr Abrefa urged the supporters to avail themselves of voluntary services, particularly speaking on behalf of the party on various media platforms if the need arose. Source: Ghana News Agency