The Criminal Chamber specialized in terrorism cases at the Court of First Instance of Tunis has decided to put under advisement the case relating to the escape of five detainees prosecuted for acts of a terrorist nature from the civil prison of Mornaguia.
This decision comes at the end of a hearing devoted to examining the requests for release, pending the setting of a date for the trial.
A hearing held by videoconference
The examination of the case took place by remote trial, the defendants in detention having been taken to the room dedicated to hearings by videoconference. This procedure allowed the court to hear all the parties concerned in a case deemed sensitive due to the nature of the accusations and the profile of the escaped detainees.
The case originated in the events that occurred at the end of October 2023, when a group of five prisoners classified as dangerous managed to escape from the Mornaguia penitentiary establishment, one of the main detention centers in the country. The escape had aroused great concern due to the terrorist nature of the offenses with which the fugitives were accused.
A case involving executives and prison officers
The judicial investigation concerns more than forty accused, including people placed in preventive detention and others prosecuted while at liberty. Among those accused are the five escaped prisoners, the wife of one of them, as well as agents and executives of the prison administration, including the director of the Mornaguia prison.
Justice will have to determine individual responsibilities in this escape, in particular any possible security failures, internal complicity or professional failings that facilitated the escape of the detainees.
The circumstances of the escape
Five detainees, Ahmed Melki alias “The Somali”, Ameur Balâazi, Raed Touati, Alaa Ghazouani and Nader Ghanmi, all involved in several terrorist cases including the assassinations of Chokri Belaïd and Mohamed Brahmi, escaped from Mornaguia prison on October 31 before being captured a few days later.
Ahmed Melki was captured on November 5, 2023 in the Ettadhamen city, the four other fugitives were arrested on November 7 at Mount Boukornine. Two of the five escapees are believed to be linked to the hold-up of a bank branch in Boumhal carried out during their run.
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