Tunis-Carthage airport case postponed to Oct. 3

The Tunis Court of Appeal decided, on Monday, to postpone to next October 3 the examination of the so-called "Tunis-Carthage Airport Case," at the request of the defence, Tunisian news agency (TAP) reported. In their defence, the lawyers presented to presiding judge Hedhili Manna? claims to release some detained defendants, particularly those whose imprisonment has exceeded the first instance judgement time, Tunisian news agency (TAP) reported.. The lawyers also requested the postponement of the trial to help them prepare their defence. Detainees in this case are accused of financial and customs offences, notably Leila Trabelsi and 31 of her relatives and those of the deposed president, in addition to former Presidential Security Chief Ali Seriati. All the accused, under arrest or free, attended the hearing at the exception of one defendant who is detained at the Mornaguia prison. Imed Trabelsi, who had threatened not to attend the hearings, was among those present. The Tunis Court of First Instance had condemned the defendants, last August 12, to sentences ranging between 4 and 6 years and to fines worth over 200 million Tunisian dinars.(