The Criminal Chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance has decided to postpone the trial against the former president of the Truth and Dignity Authority (IVD), Sihem Bensedrine, and the former Minister of State Domains, Mabrouk Kourchid.
A procedure suspended by the decision of the Court of Appeal
The court set the next hearing for February 19, pending the decision of the Tunis Court of Appeal. This must rule on the appeal filed by the defense against the order of the Indictment Chamber having decided to refer the case to the Criminal Chamber.
The postponement was motivated by the need to await the outcome of this appeal, considered decisive for the continuation of the procedure. The Criminal Chamber considered that it was appropriate to postpone examination of the case until the appeal court ruled on the validity of the referral.
Prosecutions linked to conciliation agreements
Sihem Bensedrine and Mabrouk Korchid are being prosecuted in two separate cases relating to a conciliation concluded between the Truth and Dignity Commission and businessmen. These cases are part of the context of the settlement mechanisms put in place during the transition period, today at the heart of legal and political debates.
The case therefore remains in abeyance, awaiting the decision of the Court of Appeal, which will determine whether or not the examination of the case before the Criminal Chamber will continue.
