Chokri Belaid’s final statement

Chokri Belaid had raised the alarm in a TV interview on 5 February, the day before he was assassinated, in which he had pointed a finger at the an-Nahda party, accusing it of being the instigator of the violence spreading over Tunisia. In particular, answering one of the interviewer’s questions, Belaid had mentioned the statement by Majlis al-Shura (the governing council) of an-Nahda of 1 February 2013, in which, among other things, it asked to ‘put an end to the injustice weighing on the members of an-Nahda and the League for the defence of the Revolution being held in Tataouine’. Now, the prisoners mentioned in the statement are the alleged assassins of Lotfi Nakedh, a member of the opposition party Nida Tunis, killed in obscure circumstances in October 2012 (the Interior Minister had denied the event speaking of a heart attack). This is why, according to Belaid, to call for their liberation amounted to ‘giving the official green light for the attack’. The facts seem to have tragically shown that he was right.

 

 

 

 

 Interview with Nessma TV, Tuesday 5 February 2013

 

 

‘It is not a simple operation linked, so as to say, to a small group. No, there is a centralised plan, in a number of provinces against different forces.

 

 

Just a moment […], for example…

 

 

For example … But did you read the final statement of the Advisory Council of the an-Nahda movement yesterday? It is a clear statement, a conclusive statement, in which some criminal gangs that assassinated a Tunisian, Lotfi Nakadh are supported…

 

 

[In the document] people ask for the injustice to be cancelled

 

 

When a criminal group begins to carry out political assassinations, and all the Tunisians agreed that this was the case, among whom Ghannoushi himself at first.... He wanted to go and express his condolences, just that the relatives refused. Now it turns out that they are the ones subject to injustice. This is really a scandal, I mean. It is like giving the official green light for the attack’.

 

 

(trad. Oasis)