The Free Destourian Party (PDL in french) called for the immediate release of its president Abir Moussi and said it is ready to engage in peaceful struggle to defend her.

The party warned against attempts to put in place legal impediments to Moussi's running in the next presidential elections.

Abir Moussi's arrest was announced Tuesday by her lawyer Nafaa Laribi. The party leader, he said, had been placed in custody for 48 hours and taken to Bouchoucha pre-trial detention centre in Tunis following her apprehension outside the registry office of Carthage Palace.

"Moussi was taken unjustly to an unknown place, " PDL political bureau Wednesday said in a statement released following an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

The political bureau holds the President of the Republic accountable for the physical integrity and safety of the PDL president.

The party is utterly opposed to regulatory decrees n°588, 589 and 590 published last September 22 on calling voters to elect local councils, the delimitation of districts and the apportionment of electoral districts ahead of local elections.

Abir Moussi headed to the registry office of Cartage palace on Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by the lawyer of the party and a bailiff to file a relevant application as part of the challenge which the party intends to lodge against the presidential decrees.