Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi accused on Thursday Ennahda of plotting to kill him, adding that the movement has a secret apparatus with links inside the state.
His comments came after Tunisia’s military court announced it would open an investigation over allegations that the country’s head of government PM Youssef Chahed was plotting a coup against the president.
Presiding over a National Security Council meeting at the presidential palace, Essebsi said Ennahda officials were exerting pressure and threatening him after he met with a team of lawyers who had accused the movement of being directly involved in the murder of its opponents Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi in 2013 when the party was in power.
The president said the defense team in the assassinations case handed him documents on what is known as the secret apparatus of Ennahda movement.
This week, Ennahda criticized a recent meeting between Essebesi and the lawyers of Belaid and Brahmi, saying the president’s direct involvement in the case threatened to undermine judicial independence.
"We will not tolerate these threats and will resort to the judiciary,” the Tunisian president said, however.
Essebsi stressed he was not biased to any party, saying he only worked for Tunisia’s interest.
Ennahda’s executive bureau responded to accusations against the party and criticized the Presidency of the Republic, accusing it of not respecting the Constitution and of acting one-sidedly.
Also speaking in front of the parliament, Chahed denied on Thursday allegations that he was plotting a coup against the president.
