Human rights organizations are demanding the immediate release of lawyer Khalid Kerichi
Human rights organizations have called for an end to prosecutions against transitional justice officials in conjunction with the postponement of the trial of the former chairman of the arbitration and reconciliation committee by the Truth and Dignity Commission.
Human rights organizations today demanded the immediate release of the lawyer and former chairman of the Truth and Dignity Reconciliation Commission, Khaled Khrushchev, and an end to prosecutions against him in Tunisia. These claims came following the decision of the Criminal Chamber considering financial corruption cases in the Tunisian Primary Court to postpone the case against him and the former president of the body to a later date.
Amnesty International and the Intersection of Rights and Freedoms have announced their solidarity with those involved in the follow-up to this file. The Intersection of Procedures Association described the actions against transitional justice officials as arbitrary, calling for the immediate evacuation of Kreshi's path and an end to his prosecution.
The defence team has confirmed the safety of all legal procedures for arbitration and reconciliation during the body's work. The Authority stated that these decisions were taken collectively in accordance with the mechanisms laid down by the Transitional Justice Act and in full compliance with the administrative and legal arrangements in place.
Ongoing investigations relate to suspicions of financial and administrative breaches that accompanied the conclusion of arbitration and reconciliation agreements, some of which date back to May 2016. The legal framework for the indictment is based on Chapter 96 of the Criminal Journal relating to the exploitation of a public official's reputation to harm the administration or extract an unfair benefit in addition to the suspicions of tampering and use, while judicial authorities had executed on 3 June 2024 a prison sentence order issued by the prosecution at the Court of Appeal of Tunisia in Kerichi's right.
In return, no official comment or clarification from the Ministry of Justice or the judiciary has been made regarding the proceedings of the recent hearing and the reasons for the decision to postpone. The case awaits the criminal chamber's resumption of hearings to hear defense pleas and petition for the defendants' release.