Tunisia extends state of emergency for another month

Last week, a woman blew herself up in Tunis, killing herself and injuring 20 people

Tunisia extends state of emergency for another month

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi on Tuesday extended the country’s state of emergency for another month.

The extension takes effect from Wednesday until Dec. 6, according to a statement issued by his office.

The statement said the decision came following consultations between Essebsi, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed and Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Nasser.

Last week, a woman blew herself up in capital Tunis, killing herself and injuring around 20 people.

The state of emergency was first imposed following Tunisia’s popular uprising in late 2010/early 2011, which ended the regime of autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after almost 25 years in power.

A second state of emergency was imposed in late 2015 after a terrorist attack in Tunis left dozens dead, including security personnel.

Renewed several times since, the state of emergency endows the interior minister with exceptional powers, including the imposition of curfews and media censorship without judicial approval.