The case goes back several years but has not been disclosed, and the current campaign of arrests aimed, according to the authorities, at “accountability”, must certainly relate to this file. In any event, justice has its work done, and several crucial legal issues must be dealt with as quickly as possible to enlighten public opinion.
The case of Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, the last prime minister of Muammar Gaddafi, keeps all its secrets, while the former government of Hammadi Al-Jabali was accused of violating human rights by its decision to hand over this former senior official to the Libyan militias in June 2012 in exchange for a large sum of money.
Today, the issue is experiencing new twists and turns. If the person concerned himself plans to take over the structures of international justice against the Tunisian state, the information indicates that Minister of Justice Leila Jaffal decided to open this file by ordering a judicial investigation.
The prosecution is currently remaining silent, but the voices calling for justice to open this file officially have become numerous. And with good reason, an issue that undermines Tunisia’s very image.
Incidentally, in this case, all eyes have turned to the Ennahda political party, which is already at the center of the latest legal developments. Moreover, according to the former Minister of Finance in the same government, Hussein al-Dimasi, al-Mahmoudi was to be handed over to the Libyan parties against $200 million collected by Ennahda. In this sense, the former minister states that he resigned at the time in protest of this issue.
Without the reaction of the Ennahda party until today to this announcement, all accusations were leveled against its leaders at the time. Its former prime minister, Hammadi al-Jabali, and former justice minister, Noureddine al-Buhairi.
Marzouki involved?
Indeed, the political responsibility in this case is also borne by the former President of the Republic, Moncef Marzouki, although he is a staunch defender of human rights. Moreover, lawyer, former MP and former minister, Mabrouk Kerchid, returned to this case.
He said that he had all the necessary evidence against the former President of the Republic, Moncef Marzouki, the former Prime Minister Hammadi Jebali, the former Minister of Justice Noureddine Behairy, and the leader of Ennahda, Said Ferjani. According to Mabrouk Karsheed, the former head of state, the figures of the Islamic movement and lawyers concluded a deal related to the extradition of Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi in exchange for a sum of money.
“An entire delegation went to Tripoli to pay, and the money was transferred through Tunis-Carthage Airport, in the presence of a representative of one of the sovereign ministries on the night of June 25, 2012, that is, the day after the handover of the Libyan Prime Minister »He said.
By the way, this version is confirmed by several lawyers who are familiar with the matter. They insist on saying that Saeed Ferjani would have played the role of mediator in this case and would have blackmailed Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi. Moreover, in a letter he sent to Moncef Marzouki at the time, Al-Mahmoudi confirmed this information and claimed that he had refused to grant access to funds secretly deposited in Libyan, Tunisian and international banks. In any case, the former President of the Republic, Moncef Marzouki, has always denied any involvement in this case. “The decision was taken without my knowledge and without my written or verbal consent.”Remember, he even confirmed it “This case sparked a systemic crisis, during which I almost submitted my resignation.”
Why didn’t he? In any case, this was the only way to dissuade his allies from handing over al-Mahmudi to the Libyan authorities. But even today, observers on the national scene agree on the fact that Marzouki bears a responsibility, at least political, in this matter.
Ready to go
The UK recently removed Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, who served under Muammar Gaddafi, from its financial sanctions list, according to a financial notice issued by the UK government.
The UK Treasury’s Financial Sanctions Enforcement Office said in its advisory that “Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi has been removed from the relevant list and is no longer subject to the assets freeze”.
Mahmoudi was initially sanctioned by the European Union in March 2011 for his position in the Gaddafi regime and his alleged role in suppressing protesters.
In 2019, the Libyan authorities released the last prime minister of the ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi.
According to some information, he is preparing to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court against the Tunisian state and those involved in what he calls his kidnapping, especially this case of extortion.
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