Belaid assassination verdict only concerns perpetrators, not masterminds (lawyer)

Tunis: Wednesday's verdict in the case of the assassination of martyr Chokri Belaid only concerns the perpetrators of the crime, said defence lawyer Mohamed Jmour. "Those who instigated, planned or tried to cover up this crime are in no way affected by the verdicts issued at dawn on Wednesday," he said. Jmour, a leading figure in the Unified Party of Democratic Patriots (PPDU), described the position of the Ennahdha movement following the verdict as "an attempt to mislead public opinion". The leaders of the Ennahdha movement are not implicated in the part of the case that concerns the perpetrators of the assassination, he told TAP, adding that it was too early to speak of the party's acquittal. He recalled that five Ennahdha leaders are implicated in the case of businessman Fathi Dammak. Dammak is accused of conspiracy to commit assault, unlawful detention and planning an assassination. The case was triggered by a video in which the businessman was seen planning to kill political figures, journalists, ju dges and lawyers. Jmour also stressed that the defence lawyers will hold a meeting to review the verdict. The PPDU, one of the plaintiffs in the case, will comment on the verdict in legal and political terms, he said. The Fifth Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis, which specialises in terrorist cases, delivered its verdict in the case of the assassination of Chokri Belaid. The verdict was read out at dawn on Wednesday and broadcast live on national television. Reacting to the verdict, the Ennahdha movement considered it an exoneration, claiming that this verdict rehabilitates those who have been Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse