Tunisia Parliament Passes New Anti-Terror Law

Local Editor

Tunisia's parliament had adopted a new anti-terror law which seeks to counter the threat posed by Takfiri militants.

The move followed two deadly attacks on tourism sites - a beach and hotel at Sousse in June and the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March.

Under the new law, those convicted of terrorism could face the death penalty and expressions of support for terrorism are a jail-able offence.

However, rights groups had criticized the new measures as draconian.

MPs passed the law overwhelmingly after three days of debate.

Mohamed Ennaceur, president of the assembly, called it a "historic" moment and said the new law would "reassure" Tunisians.

Furthermore, the law will make it easier for investigators to tap suspects' phones.

However, advocacy groups warned that the law's definition of terrorist crimes is too vague and they said it fails to safeguard the rights of defendants.

The new powers allow authorities to detain suspects for 15 days without access to a lawyer or appearance before a judge.

Critics had also condemned the return of capital punishment after a lengthy moratorium on executions.
A gunman killed 38 people in Sousse on 28 June in an attack claimed by the Takfiri group "ISIL".

In March, 21 tourists died when gunmen stormed the Bardo museum in the capital, Tunis. "ISIL" later said it was behind the raid.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team