Rescind 'breaches of judges' liberties', 45 Tunisian judges tell President Saied

Forty-five Tunisian judges have called on President Kais Saied to reverse measures enacted during a recent power grab, which they say have breached the country's liberties.

The judges rebuked the president for "the encroachment on the jurisdiction of the courts and functions of the Supreme Judicial Council" in a statement, the Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, Saied has purged the government of ministers, suspended parliament, and taken charge of public prosecution, moves that have been denounced as a "coup".

An "immediate withdrawal of all arbitrary measures taken against the judges" was urged by the statement's signatories, who added that such acts must not be taken again.

Bechir Akremi, a Tunisian judge, was placed under a 40-day house arrest at the end of July, for allegedly hiding documents pertaining to terrorism.

The authorities' decision to place Akremi under house arrest was strongly criticised by the Association of Tunisian Judges last Wednesday.

The association said the Supreme Judicial Council was not given justification for the arrest and did not authorise it.

Another judge, Taieb Rached, was also placed under arrest for "financial corruption", according to Sky News' Arabic-language service.

The group Lawyers for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms (LPRF) denounced the move to prevent the judges from leaving their homes, Arabi21 said.

LPRF described the house arrests as breaching the constitution and threatening the legal system's "independence".

The group also criticised the military prosecution of several parliamentarians as being against the nation's constitution.