Tunis: Secretary General of the Unified Party of Democratic Patriots Zied Lakhdher on Wednesday stressed the ongoing struggle to uncover the truth behind the assassination of martyr Chokri Belaid, referring in particular to the dossier of the "secret apparatus" closely linked to the assassination. In a statement to TAP news agency following the verdict against those involved in Belaid's assassination, Lakhdher added that the process of uncovering the truth includes several files, especially that of the secret apparatus within the state. "This process continues today to reveal the identity of those who planned, financed and took the decision to carry out the assassination," he added. It is recalled that the 5th Criminal Chamber, specialised in terrorist cases, of the Court of First Instance in Tunis issued its verdict in the case of the assassination of Chokri Belaid. According to the verdict, which was read out by Aymen Chtiba, the first deputy prosecutor of the anti-terrorism division of the court, at a press conference held at dawn on Wednesday at the court's headquarters and broadcast live on Wataniya 1 television, four defendants were sentenced to death and two others to life imprisonment. The party's secretary general stressed that the links between the planning and financing files and the Belaid case are being dealt with by the anti-terrorism department. He stated that party leaders have been questioned in this regard, and stressed that the new sentences are an important step towards uncovering the truth. He added that it was up to the defence lawyers in the Chokri Belaid case to assess these decisions and act accordingly, and praised "the crucial role of this team in conducting an important investigation to uncover the truth". Regarding the obstacles that have prevented the truth from being uncovered since 2013, the year of Belaid's assassination, he mentioned that the prosecutor in charge of the case (former prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in Tunis, Bechir Akremi) is currently in custody , accused of concealing facts and manipulating the case. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
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