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A Tunisian court on Tuesday handed down lengthy jail sentences, ranging from 12 to 35 years, to several prominent politicians on charges of “plotting against the state,” local media reported.
Among those sentenced is Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the main opposition party, the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha, who received a 14-year sentence. Ghannouchi, already imprisoned, refused to attend his trial.
Approximately 20 individuals were prosecuted in this case. Notable figures include Nadia Akacha, former chief of staff to President Kais Saied, and Rafik Abdessalem, Ghannouchi’s son-in-law and former foreign minister. Both, currently residing abroad, were sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison. They faced accusations of “conspiracy against the internal security of the State” and “forming an organisation and conspiracy related to terrorist crimes.”
Leader of Tunisia’s main opposition party, Rached Ghannouchi.
Credit: Atalayar
Allegations of Secret Apparatus Amidst Democratic Backslide
Ghannouchi, along with other Ennahdha leaders and retired military officer Kamel ben Bedoui, was accused of establishing a “secret security apparatus” to serve the Islamist party, which had won elections following the 2011 revolution.
At the time of President Saied’s “coup” in July 2021, Ghannouchi was the speaker of parliament. He had previously been sentenced in February to 22 years in prison, also on “conspiracy against state security” charges.
This latest ruling follows another “mega-trial” in April, which saw numerous opposition figures receive sentences of up to 66 years for similar “conspiracy” charges. Opponents have widely criticised President Saied’s assumption of full powers in July 2021 as a coup.
Since then, Tunisian and international NGOs have consistently reported a regression of rights and freedoms in the country, which was the birthplace of the “Arab Spring” uprisings.
Human rights groups also note that a decree-law intended to combat “fake news” has been broadly used to suppress dissent, leading to the arrest or investigation of many journalists, bloggers, and lawyers.
