APPREHENDED
- Full name: Afif Amouri
- Pseudonym: N/a
- Alternatives: Afif Laâmouri
- Location: Tunisia
- Affiliation: Brigade of Uqba Bin Nafa’a [KUIN], formerly Partisans of Shari’a in Tunisia [AST]
Afif Amouri is a little-known, yet influential Tunisian jihadi. Following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution, he became active in the Partisans of Shari’a in Tunisia [AST; Ansar Achariaâ]. Amouri became one of the movement’s leaders and acted as a spokesperson.1 He developed close ties to AST leader Seifallah Ben Hassine. In September 2012, Amouri helped Ben Hassine escape from a mosque surrounded by security forces who came to arrest him.2 He was also involved in the movement’s militant activities. Amouri was linked to the 2013 assassination of left-wing politician Chokri Belaïd.3 He furthermore assisted the AST in setting up weapons caches.4
After the disintegration of the AST in late 2013, Amouri became affiliated with the Brigade of Okba Bin Nafa’a [KUIN; Katibat Uqba Ibn Nafaâ].5 He was reportedly involved in the killing of six policemen in clashes during the October 2013 counter-terrorism operations in the town of Sidi Ben Aoun. Amouri has also been linked to several small-scale attacks in the Kasserine and Sidi Bouzid governorates.6 At the same time, Amouri appeared to have headed the KUIN’s public relations program.7 He allegedly maintained close ties to group’s top leader Khalid Chaïeb.8
On Jul. 31, 2014, Tunisian security forces apprehended Amouri in the town of Regueb, in the Sidi Bouzid governorate.9 In October of the same year, police rolled up his media module during a series of raids.10 His propaganda deputy, Fatma Zouaghi, was among those arrested in the operations. On Mar. 30, 2016, Amouri was handed as six-year prison term by a Tunisian court for his role in the KUIN’s activities.11
References