MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2021) Tunisian security forces have stormed and shut down Al Jazeera's office in Tunis, the Qatari news agency said on Monday, linking the raid to the new wave of political and social instability in the North African country.
Mass anti-government protests took place in Tunis on Sunday. By the end of the day, Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, a move his opponents called a coup.
"Security forces dressed in civilian clothes stormed the offices of Al Jazeera in Tunis. They asked all journalists to turn off their phones and then removed the staff from the building," Al Jazeera's bureau chief Lutfi Hajji said.
Some 20 Tunisian officers were involved in the raid, he said. They prevented the staff from taking personal belongings and confiscated the keys to the building, according to the report.
The Tunisian officers had no warrant and said they acted as instructed by the interior ministry, Al Jazeera said, describing the event as "not fair" and vowing to seek judicial intervention.
Violent protests reportedly continue in front of the Tunisian parliament building. People took to the streets to demand the resignation of the government over its poor handling of COVID-19, which aggravated a years-long economic crisis in the country.
