Former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem challenges referral to court in 'Chinese donation' case
Former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem has publicly contested his referral to the criminal chamber in the "Chinese donation" case, asserting that the matter was definitively closed in 2018. In a Facebook post on August 3, 2026, Abdessalem denounced what he described as a political instrumentalization of justice. His statement followed the Tunis Court of Appeal's indictment chamber confirming the closure of the investigation and ordering his referral to the economic and financial judicial division's criminal chamber. Abdessalem, who is being prosecuted in absentia, faces accusations related to the management of a one-million-dollar Chinese donation intended for Tunisia. He argues that the Court of Cassation had annulled all proceedings against him in 2018, both on procedural and substantive grounds, thereby definitively closing the case. He questioned how a final Cassation Court decision could be re-examined by an appeals chamber on the same matter, providing a copy of the 2018 ruling as proof. Abdessalem also criticized the current government, accusing President Kaïs Saïed of using the judiciary for political ends and stating that the judicial institution has lost its independence. He further criticized media coverage for not highlighting the 2018 Cassation Court decision. Despite the new proceedings, Abdessalem affirmed his continued political opposition to President Saïed, vowing to remain engaged until the restoration of democracy, institutions, and judicial independence