The Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued yesterday a press release in which it indicated that the two bound and gagged deportees who were expelled from Italy and whose picture circulated on Facebook and some media outlets are in fact not of Tunisian nationality. The Ministry insisted instead that they are "nationals of another Arab country."

A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Tunisia Live that the two deportees were Algerians and immediately transfered to their country of origin upon their arrival to Tunis on Tuesday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its "commitment that all operations of deportation involving illegal Tunisian immigrants from either Italy or any other country is carried out on the basis of signed agreements regarding the rights of Tunisians and their dignity."