Tunisian committee upholds immunity for MP

A request by the Tunisian Ministry of Justice to lift immunity on Member of Parliament, Samia Abbou has been denied. The Internal System and Immunity Committee of Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly voted against the appeal, saying that Abbou has the right to express her opinions freely. The request came following comments made by Abbou, who accused the former Tunisian Prime Minister Beji Caid el Sebsi of being involved in the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid. Abbou placed the blame for Tunisia’s current atmosphere of insecurity on Sebsi, adding that he works to support the chaos and violence in the country by preventing the parliament from passing a law of immunity for those involved in the revolution. Members of the committee explained that her statement against the former Tunisian official was not a crime, stressing that the request of the ministry came as part of a political retaliation. The committee is scheduled to submit its final report to the Office of the National Constituent Assembly on Tuesday, ahead of the final vote.