After the crisis of blocking the flag, the World Anti-Doping Agency submits an urgent request to the Tunisian authorities

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) expressed its "deep concern" over the arrest of the director of the Tunisian Anti-Doping Agency, calling for his "immediate and unconditional release."

Yesterday, Monday, the president of the Tunisian Swimming Federation and the director of the National Anti-Doping Agency were placed in pretrial detention pending a judicial investigation, after the Tunisian flag was blocked at an international demonstration due to doping, according to what the Public Prosecution reported.

This issue worsened after the Tunisian flag was hidden with a piece of cloth during the Tunisian Masters Swimming Championship, in accordance with the sanctions of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Tunisian President Kais Saied ordered the dissolution of the Swimming Federation office and the dismissal of officials, including the Director General of the National Anti-Doping Agency, after he made an angry visit to the swimming pool. Friday evening.

The spokesman for the Ben Arous Prosecution, Mohamed Sadouk Jouini, explained that a total of nine people are being prosecuted in this case, including the two officials who have been arrested since Saturday, while seven other people were invited yesterday, Monday, to appear before this prosecution located south of Tunis.

The suspects face charges of “conspiracy against the internal security” of the state, “forming an (organized) gang to commit attacks and cause chaos,” and “harming the Tunisian flag,” Jouini added.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is based in Montreal, Canada, regretted the arrests “in view of the excellent progress that has been made,” with the aim of bringing Tunisia back into compliance with international anti-doping laws, indicating the possibility of lifting the sanctions imposed in early May “in the near future.”

The sanctions included not allowing the Tunisian flag to be raised in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, until the country returns to the jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Agency, in addition to not hosting regional, continental, or world championships.