The United States said on Monday it was “deeply concerned” by Tunisian President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council (CSM) and the closure of that body’s headquarters.
“An independent judiciary is a crucial element of an effective and transparent democracy. It is essential that the government of Tunisia honor its commitments to respect the independence of justice in accordance with the Constitution,” said the spokesman for American diplomacy Ned Price.
The Tunisian president announced in a video the dissolution of the CSM, which he accuses of bias, corruption, and has notably slowed down the investigations into the 2013 assassinations of two left-wing activists.
The CSM, created in 2016, is an independent body responsible for appointing judges. It is made up of 45 magistrates, two-thirds of who are elected by Parliament and who themselves appoint the remaining third.
“Positions and appointments are sold and made according to affiliations,” accused Mr. Saied, asserting that “certain magistrates were able to receive” large sums of money in return.
The CSM rejected the dissolution “in the absence of a legal and constitutional framework authorizing” the president to do so and announced that “its members will continue to sit”.
The Tunisian police, however, closed the headquarters of the body on Monday.
“The United States reiterates its call for an accelerated process of political reform in Tunisia” that would ensure “continued respect for human rights,” added Ned Price.
