(TAP) – Acting Justice Minister Hasna Ben Slimane said that investigations into the attempted poisoning of the President of the Republic using bread entrusted to the counter-terrorism judicial division, had been closed for lack of evidence.

A working session was held Thursday at the Justice Ministry seat in the presence of members of the Security and Defence Committee (special) and the Committee on the Organisation of the Administration and the Affaires of Armed Forces (permanent), to review the latest events in Sidi Hassine Sijoumi.

The information reported on planning terrorist acts against State institutions and issues related to the security situation in the country were also on the agenda.

Regarding the case of the “poisoned envelope” sent to the Presidency of the Republic, Ben Slimane said that all the tests conducted have been negative.

She added that an investigation had been initiated on June 17, 2021 by the anti-corruption judicial division into an attempt to assassinate the President of the Republic, against the background of statements made by the latter in which he had revealed the existence of an attempt to remove him from office, if necessary by assassination.

As regards the suspicious death of a young man in Sidi Hassine and the police violence against a minor in the same neighbourhood, the minister assured that investigations are ongoing. She recalled that she had sent a letter to the public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of Appeal, calling for the strict enforcement of the law against all those whose involvement in human rights violations is established.

Ben Slimane further indicated that over 15 police officers had been heard in this case and that investigations are underway to reveal the identity of the perpetrators of these violations.

The delegate for child protection has been taking care of the minor who had been assaulted in the street and stripped naked by police officers. He is now under psychological care before being enrolled in a vocational training course, she assured.

The members of the two committees called during the session for establishing the responsibilities and prosecuting the perpetrators of these abuses.

They stressed the importance of developing mechanisms for communicating with public opinion on issues of general interest.

Source: TAP News Agency