Tunisia probes ‘poison parcel’ sent to president

Tunisian local media are reporting that President Kais Saied’s office received a suspect parcel, prompting the authorities to open an investigation.

Nobody was harmed and the letter did not find its way to the president, the AFP news agency adds, quoting Tunisia’s presidency.

Local reports suggest that the parcel contained the deadly poison ricin.

The president’s brother, Naoufel Saied, said on Facebook that “the president is safe” without clarifying, according to reports.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called President Saied to inquire about his safety, the Algerian president’s office said.

Tunisia is in the midst of a severe economic downturn and its ailing public health sector is also under pressure from soaring numbers of Covid-19 infections.

There have been protests in the country over economic hardships.

The protests began on the 10th anniversary of the Tunisian revolution, which ushered in democracy and triggered the Arab Spring uprisings across the region.