Tunisian justice suspended Wednesday August 10 the dismissal of about fifty magistrates, decided at the beginning of June by President Kaïs Saïed and described as an "
attack on the rule of law
" by several NGOs, judicial sources indicated to the AFP.
On June 1, Kaïs Saïed – who assumed all the powers a year ago – dismissed 57 magistrates by presidential decree, accusing them of corruption and obstructing several investigations.
Fifty-three judges, some of whom were accused of "
adultery
", had lodged appeals with the administrative court.
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The suspension of dismissals for an unspecified number of judges was announced to the press by the spokesman of the administrative court Imed Ghabri.
Lawyer Kamel Ben Messoud, from the committee for the defense of dismissed magistrates, indicated that the suspension concerns “
about 50 judges
” who, according to him, will be able to resume their duties as soon as a copy of the verdict is obtained.
The other magistrates, who are the subject of criminal proceedings, did not benefit from the suspension decision, added Me Ben Messoud to local media.
The administrative court told AFP that it would publish its decision during the day, without giving further details.
The dismissal of these magistrates had been denounced by several NGOs, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International, as a "
direct attack on the rule of law
" and had led to more than a month of very close strike action by the magistrates.
Since July 25, 2021, ensuring to act in the interest of the country which he considered ungovernable, Kaïs Saied has concentrated all powers, raising fears of an autocratic drift in the cradle of the Arab Spring.
In February, he dissolved the Superior Council of the Judiciary, replaced by a provisional CSM whose members he appointed, before reinforcing in early June by decree his supervision of the judicial system by making it possible to dismiss magistrates without appeal.
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