Tunisia's Supreme Judiciary Council rejected on Sunday President Kais Saied's decision to dissolve it and said it would continue carrying out its duties, and that it rejected pressure on and accusations against members of the council and judges.
Saied dissolved the Council overnight, the latest move in his consolidation of power after dismissing the parliament and sacking the prime minister in July and promising to remake the democratic constitution in moves his critics call a coup.
The Council was a rare state body that could still exert influence independent of Saied, who has for months criticised the judiciary for delays in rulings on corruption and terrorism cases.