Tunisian judges strike after president scraps watchdog

TUNIS: Tunisian judges on Wednesday started a widely observed nationwide strike, days after President Kais Saied announced he would dissolve a key judicial watchdog.

Saied on the weekend moved to scrap the Supreme Judicial Council (CSM), accusing it of blocking politically sensitive investigations and being influenced by his nemesis, the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party.

His move against the CSM -- after he sacked the government and froze parliament in July then moved to rule by decree -- has sparked condemnation from world powers and rights groups. Some have accused him of taking another step towards authoritarian rule in Tunisia, a country often lauded as the only democracy to emerge from the 2011 Arab revolts. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association (AMT) responded by urging judges across the North African nation to strike on Wednesday and Thursday.