Tunisia's parliament supported deputy Mohamed Affes after he accused several union leaders in Sfax city of physically and verbally assaulting him, taking his mobile phone, and ripping off his clothes.
The parliament called for a serious judicial investigation into the incident which is blamed on union leaders after Dignity Coalition, Affes’ party, sharply criticized a number of them saying they were involved in corruption.
The Islamist Dignity Coalition became a political and parliamentary force in Tunisia after it won for the first time in last year's elections.
The Coalition won 21 seats and became the fourth largest parliamentary bloc after Ennahda, Heart of Tunisia party, and the Democratic Current Party.
Affes said the incident happened after he was expelled from a meeting tackling the new coronavirus. He said the attendees attacked him and started beating him, smashing his eyeglasses and tearing his clothes.
Spokesman for Sfax court Judge Murad al-Turki said Affes filed an official complaint against a number of members of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) over the incident.
Head of the Dignity Coalition Seifeddine Makhlouf posted the assault video, also accusing members of UGTT of carrying out the attack.
Makhlouf, who is also a lawyer, vowed to reveal corruption cases that involve several leaders soon, accusing some top members of the union of corruption, noting that many of them are suspiciously wealthy.
The union’s top leaders denied those accusations and affirmed that all their revenues and expenditures are documented.
