Brother of the Tunisian minister of justice, Noureddine Al-Beheiri Releasing the brother of the Tunisian minister of justice, Noureddine Al-Beheiri, accused of pedophilia, has triggered demonstrations by families whose relatives were not granted pardon.The pardon was announced by Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on January 14, and included nearly nine thousand prisoners, to mark the event of the first anniversary of the fall of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Protests and rallies filled Jbeniana, Sfax, the hometown of the minister. Protesters described the release of the minister's brother as “disastrous,” and called for "eliminating bias and nepotism in Tunisia after the revolution.” They held signs with slogans demanding, “national government”, “independent judiciary” and “administration neutrality?”
Le Kef Governorate, too, witnessed rallies on Monday. Protesters denounced the fact many worthy prisoners were not granted a pardon. They held anti-government slogans, set rubber wheels on fire and blocked ports leading to the city center to express their anger.
Protests reached the capital Tunis, where dozens of people gathered in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice to demand the release of their relatives, and denounced the "discrimination of the authority experienced by prisoners and convicts,” accusing "some judges, detectives and security agents,” who, as said, “had received bribes from them to release their relatives, but in vain.”
Protests have forced the Minister of Justice out of the silence. He asserted that the release of his brother was in the framework of the law in accordance with Chapters 353, 354, 355 and 356 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and Naji Al-Beheiri, like other 9,000, was included in the amnesty decision. The Ministry of Justice pledged to form a special committee to consider the demands of releasing a number of other prisoners, during the celebration of Independence Day on March 20.