Tunisia extends state of emergency for 6 months

Kais Saied

TUNIS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied decided Friday to extend the state of emergency, imposed throughout the country since November 2015, for six month.

"President Saied decided to extend the state of emergency in the entire territory of the republic for a period of six months, starting from May 30, 2020," said a presidency statement without giving further details.

The state of emergency in Tunisia was first declared on Nov. 24, 2015, following a bloody bomb attack on a bus of the presidential guards, killing 12 agents.

Tunisian emergency law allows the authorities' exceptional powers, including carrying out home arrests, banning official meetings, imposing curfews, monitoring media and press, prohibiting assemblies, and media censorship without permission from the judiciary.