TUNIS - The summoning of Zied El Heni, member of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists Executive Board, by a judge in Chokri Belaid's assassination case on Saturday, a day off for courts, came after his "important statements," Adviser to the Justice Ministry Fadhel Saihi said.
"Such statements cannot wait for the opening of courts," he told TAP news agency.
The investigating judge in charge of the case has a free hand to summon at any moment whoever has information likely to help justice, Mr. Saihi said, adding that "the Justice Ministry does not interfere in cases underway."
Zied El Heni told a private television channel on Friday evening that he had "serious information" according to which a senior Interior Ministry official would be involved in the murder of Chokri Belaid.
Leaving the studio, Zied El Heni received a summons to appear before the investigating judge of the 13th chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance on Saturday, February 9.
His lawyer Mohamed Hedi Laabidi said the summons "does not comply with the law in force," adding "it has not been issued by a judge but by an attached department of the Criminal Brigade."
In a statement to the press, the lawyer said on Saturday that the investigating judge will hear Zied El Heni on Monday, February 11, "for further information with attendance of his defence lawyer and not as a defendant unlike what has been said."
"We have called, as defence lawyers, on the investigating judge to hear some sides from Ennahdha movement in the light of the statements made in connection with the case, particularly by National Constituent Assembly member Habib Ellouz, President of the party Rached Ghannouchi, Spokesperson for the Interior Ministry Khaled Tarrouche and the Director General of Special Services within the aforementioned department," he said in a statement to the press.
"We have also requested the investigating judge to hear NCA member Samia Abbou about her recent statements to the media in which she had accused some parties of having committed this crime," the lawyer said, adding "such statements are likely to be taken into consideration in the investigation."
For his part, lawyer Abdessatar Messoudi stated that the public prosecutor said "to be ready to initiate the investigation and hear all sides having specific information likely to help in the case."
Journalists and lawyers gathered on Saturday morning outside the Tunis Court of First Instance to show their support for Zied El Heni.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2013
