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A Tunisian court has handed down lengthy prison terms to dozens of opposition figures, with some facing sentences of up to 45 years following an appeal ruling on Friday, defence lawyers told AFP.
The case has attracted strong criticism from international rights bodies, who describe the proceedings as politically driven.
Almost 40 defendants – many known for criticising President Kais Saied – were originally sentenced in April to jail terms of up to 66 years on charges including “conspiracy against state security” and alleged links to a terrorist organisation.
The verdicts were largely based on claims that the accused had held meetings with foreign diplomats, a point rights groups say does not justify such severe punishment.
Most of those convicted were detained during a sweeping crackdown in 2023, after Saied publicly branded critics as terrorists.
Although he was elected in 2019 following Tunisia’s emergence as the Arab Spring’s lone democratic success story, Saied has since been accused of dismantling democratic safeguards after assuming wide-ranging powers in 2021.
On Friday, the president rejected a European Parliament motion urging the release of political detainees, calling it unacceptable interference in Tunisia’s internal affairs.
Under the appeals ruling, prominent opposition figures Jawhar Ben Mbarek, Issam Chebbi and Ghazi Chaouachi saw their sentences increased to 20 years from 18.
Veteran politician Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, aged in his eighties, had his punishment reduced from 18 to 12 years. Businessman Kamel Ltaief received the heftiest sentence of 45 years.
However, this was lowered from an original 66, while politician Khayam Turki’s term was cut from 48 to 35 years, according to a defence document seen by lawyers.
Three defendants, including Noureddine Boutar, head of Mosaique FM, were cleared of all charges. However, some of those accused remain outside Tunisia and were tried in absentia.
Among them were women’s rights campaigner Bochra Belhaj Hmida and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, both sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Ben Mbarek’s family said he has been refusing food for over a month in protest against his detention, warning that his life may now be at serious risk.
The ruling follows international condemnation earlier this year.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned in April of legal violations, raising concern that the trial was politically motivated, while Human Rights Watch has called for the verdicts to be overturned, describing the charges as baseless.
