Trial of Terrorist Cell Accused of Plotting Assassination of Chokri Belaïd Begins
The specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases at the Court of First Instance in Tunis began examining the dismantled file related to the recruitment and incitement cell responsible for the assassination of martyr Chokri Belaïd two days ago.
Key Figures Implicated
The investigation in this case targeted several key figures, including:
- Seif Allah Ben Hassine, alias Abou Iyadh, the leader of the banned terrorist organization Ansar al-Charia
- A mosque imam from the El Khadra neighborhood, known for his close ties to Abou Iyadh
- Slim Kountri, alias "Abou Ayyoub", a leader of Ansar al-Charia
- Afif Amouri, head of Ansar al-Charia's media wing
- Other accused individuals, including Sami Essid and Ahmed Rouissi
Trial Postponed
One of the detained accused, who appeared via video conference from Mornaguia civil prison, requested a postponement to appoint a lawyer. The chamber consequently decided to postpone the trial until the next session in February.
Charges Against the Accused
According to the case file, the members of this cell are accused of:
- Planning and inciting the assassination of martyr Chokri Belaïd
- Forming a media wing for the banned organization Ansar al-Charia to attract young people, deceive them into joining terrorist cells, provide financial support, spread false news, document terrorist operations, and improve the image of terrorists in the mountains, as stated in the investigation and case file.
