The Court of First Instance in Tunis on Monday (May 26th) ordered the dissolution of the National League for the Protection of the Revolution (LPR) and all its branches.
The court also decided to freeze the pro-Islamist group's assets and liquidate them.
Following the verdict, court spokesman Sofiene Sliti said the judiciary found "the National League for the Protection of the Revolution contravening laws on the organisation and creation of associations, and decided to dissolve it and all its branches".
The decision was welcomed by many Tunisians, particularly those who accused league members of violence.
Interim Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa announced during a press conference on May 14th that the government decided to press charges against these leagues in line with the roadmap and based on the quartet dialogue recommendations to dissolve them.
During the press conference, Jomaa said that Tunisia did not need anyone to protect the revolution, saying: "There is a state to do so."
For his part, Mohamed ben Jeddou one of the lawyers of the LPR, said in a press statement that, "the league's lawyers would object to this provision and will go to the Court of Appeal to strike it down."
For its part, the Republican Party welcomed the court's decision but called on the government through a statement released on Monday "to dissolve all associations similar to these leagues that were formed outside the legal frame in order to purify the overall political climate in the country in the run-up to the anticipated next election".
In a statement to Magharebia, sociologist Said Ayadi considered the court verdict a clear message to any party seeking to impose its own positions and opinions by force.
"These leagues confirmed through their actions and words that they are like a militia used by some political parties to threaten the fragile democratic process in Tunisia," Ayadi said.
Naima Alaouinti, a human rights activist, said that the ruling "came late because of the previous government's reluctance to refer the case of these leagues to the court. Everyone, far and near knows very well that these leagues are the hard stick of certain political parties".
"I've been a witness to the violence practiced against trade unionists in the courtyard of their headquarters about two years ago because the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) did not agree at the time with the policies of the ruling troika," she added.
Back on March 14th, the court in Tunis sentenced Imed Dghij, a leader in these leagues, to eight months for inciting violence and six months for attacking others on social networks.
The LPR first obtained a license to operate in June 2012. Its objectives were specified in its founding statement as "preserving the gains of the revolution and the completion of its objectives and to maintain the revolutionary consciousness and reinforce the Arab and Muslim identity in Tunisia."
There are no official statistics for the number of its branches, but independent sources say as many as 20 may be spread across the country.
© Magharebia.com 2014
