Former Marzoki adviser prevented from traveling

The Congress for the Republic Party which was founded by Tunisian President Moncef Marzoki criticized the prevention of one of its members from traveling because of his declarations about the role of the military institution in handing over the former Libyan Prime Minister to the Libyan Judiciary. The party is a partner in the ruling collation. It expressed in a statement supporting Ayoub Massoudi, "leadership and bases". Massoudi worked as a media advisor to President Marzouki before resigning last June 28, where the Congress for the Republic party supported “Massoudi with all legal means possible to face judicial prosecutions raised against him by the political power and consequently opening a file which everyone was relieved to have closed after causing a political crisis in the country, which was overcome by combining all efforts." The party also called for the: “Abolition of special courts including military courts in order to reform all state institutions, especially the judicial institution in order to achieve a real justice where no citizen will see any form of injustice according to revolutionary targets. The military institution is like others in being subject to assessment by the people’s sovereignty through their representatives and through the power of Public opinion." The party said that: “Freedom to criticize is the main principle and limits are not accepted unless necessary and in a democratic society like disturbing public security or abusing the freedom of others,” stressing that: “It was not available in the declaration of the Tunisian citizen Massoudi which was the main reason  for the tracking.” Thursday morning security authorities in Tunis, Carthage international airport prevented Ayoub Massoudi from traveling to France where his family lives under the pretext of the issuance of a judicial decree on August 15, which bans him from traveling and calls him to present himself in front of the Permanent Military Court in Tunis to consider the charges against him and related to "compromising the dignity of national army". In the same context, some activists on social networks launched a campaign in solidarity with Massoudi entitled "Freedom to Ayoub" demanding the abolition of military courts, they also raised several slogans against military institution such as "down down military rule” and “Massoudi banned from traveling, corruption is moving freely.” The Worker's Party (formerly the Communist Party) also condemned preventing Massoudi from travelling and transferring him to military court. In its official statement to the government, the party stated: “We demand the Immediate abandoning of these arbitrary decisions and call all democratic and progressive forces to stand strongly against these methods that indicate a return to old techniques in abusing power to handle political disputes.”