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TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court on Sunday ordered a lawmaker to be detained over suspected tax fraud and money laundering - the fourth parliamentarian to be taken into custody since President Kais Saied seized near total control of the country in July. Mehdi Ben Gharbia, a businessman and former minister, is a member of the Tahya Tounes party headed by former prime minister Youssef Chahed, who was dismissed by Saied. Ben Gharbia's lawyer could not immediately be contacted for comment. Saied's intervention, and pledge to clamp down on corruption, following years of economic stagnation and political paralysis has been welcomed by many Tunisians. But critics have labelled it a coup that has undermined democratic gains made since the country's 2011 revolution, which ended autocratic rule and triggered the Arab spring. Saied, who has also suspended parliament and lifted lawmakers' immunity from prosecution, last week unveiled a new government headed by Najla Bouden. Under rules he announced last month, it will ultimately answer to him rather than to Bouden. Saied has promised to uphold rights and freedoms but has given no indication of when he will relinquish his new powers. None of the other three lawmakers currently detained in prison have been formally charged with an offence. Two have been accused of insulting police. Their lawyer described their detentions as political. The third legislator is accused of corruption in connection with a phosphate contract. (Reporting By Tarek Amara; editing by John Stonestreet)
TunisS26-TunisiaNajla-boudenTarek-amaraYoussef-chahedKais-saiedJohn-stonestreetTahya-tounesMehdi-ben-gharbiaBen-gharbiaReutersTUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian military judge on Tuesday jailed two lawmakers from the Islamist Karama party, a lawyer and the judiciary said, amid growing concerns for human rights after the president seized governing powers in July. The court jailed Nidal Saudi and Saif Eddine Makhlouf, a leader of the Karama party and a frequent critic in parliament of President Kais Saied, taking the total number of imprisoned MPs to five. Saudi was ordered to be jailed for allegedly insulting security staff at the airport months ago, his lawyer Ines Harrath said. Makhlouf, who was detained and released last week when he tried to attend a court hearing against himself, was imprisoned after being refused permission to represent Saudi as a lawyer. A statement by the military judiciary said the judge had ordered Makhlouf to be jailed because he had made a threat to a military judge and accused military judges of being involved in what Makhlouf had described as a coup. Saied dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed all governing powers on July 25 but he has yet to name a new premier or declare a roadmap for the future, raising concerns over his intentions. Rights groups have pushed for the release of another parliament member, Yassin Ayari, and have criticized the use of military courts to try civilians. They have also voiced concern at travel bans for people wanted on a variety of charges. Saied has defended his intervention, rejected accusations of a coup and pledged to uphold rights. He said on Monday he had instituted transitional governing rules and would introduce a new electoral law. (Reporting By Tarek Amara; editing by Richard Pullin)
TunisS26-TunisiaSaudi-arabiaSaudiTarek-amaraInes-harrathKais-saiedRichard-pullinSaif-eddine-makhloufIslamist-karamaYassin-ayari