The seller threw half of his shipment of watermelons in front of a National Guard post to protest the recurrence of what he considers “demands for bribes
Tunisian social networks have continued to express, Tuesday, anger, and opposition to the arrest of a seller of watermelons who had dumped, a few hours ago, half of the cargo of his truck in front of a post of the National Guard, south of the country’s capital, to protest against “repeated requests for bribes”.
Angry watermelon vendor Zied Ferchichi said in a video posted Monday as he threw away his merchandise that “members of the National Guard ask me for money every day, if not the merchandise (watermelons) will be confiscated and the truck will be impounded”. The Tunisian Interior Ministry has not yet reacted to this accusation.
In a video excerpt released on Tuesday by Tunisian Internet users, Massoud Ferchichi, the father of the itinerant seller of “watermelons” (Zied), confirmed that his son had been arrested and questioned, “because he threw part of his cargo in front of the National Guard post.”
Ferchichi explained that his son “takes care of him and his wife, who have physical disabilities.”
“On his arrest today (Zied), two spurious charges were brought against him, namely drunkenness and disorder on the public highway,” he continued.
And Ferchichi to clarify: “The gesture of my son is due to injustice and oppression, as well as to the various extortions and bribes that are taking place in this country.”
Eyewitnesses from the region of “Boumhal” in the governorate of Ben Arous, indicated to the correspondent of the Anadolu Agency, that the father of “Zied” requested a meeting with the Minister of the Interior (it is about also Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi), in order to present the grievance and obtain the release of his son.
In her Facebook post, Sofiane Boudawara said sarcastically: “Who said Tunisia is a country of bribes and extortion?”
While Loqman Souwa said in another post: “Respect our intelligence, the whole country is aware, and everyone is keeping silent in the face of the recurrence of these practices… It is unreasonable that silence continues in the face of this blackmail. “
An account in the name of “Sinan Tamimi” was angry against such practices, declaring on Twitter: “You did not even spare the seller of watermelons? (…) Have mercy on those on Earth, and those who are in heaven will have mercy on you? ”.
The Anadolu Agency was unable to obtain a reaction from the Interior Ministry regarding these accusations or the reason for the arrest.
The Tunisian government announced on June 7 the appointment of a new president of the National Authority for the fight against corruption.
The Tunisian Institute of Statistics (government) said last March that the unemployment rate rose to 17.8% in the first quarter of 2021, from 17.4% in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Unemployment data indicates that 742.8 thousand unemployed were registered until the end of March, compared to 725.1 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Tunisia is going through a political crisis and difficult economic situation, which has intensified with the continued pressures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Gross domestic product contracted 3% on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2021.
