Tunisian opposition members receive tens of years in prison for ‘conspiracy against state security’

A court in Tunisia has sentenced forty opposition members to prison sentences between the ages of 13 and 66. International press agencies write that on Saturday. These are politicians, businessmen and lawyers, including the former head of the intelligence services. They have been convicted of ‘conspiracy against state security’ and ‘membership of a terrorist group’.

Part of the group must immediately go into the cell, another part was sentenced in absentia because they fled the country when the indictment became known in 2023. The precise penalties per person have not been announced.

Authoritarian regime

The Tunisian authorities argue that the group of convicted persons was a threat to the country and that they wanted to overthrow the government of President Kais Saied. According to the opposition, however, it is a politically motivated process that fits within the authoritarian regime of Saied. The group of opposition members accused the president of committing a coup in 2021, when he sidelined the parliament, fired the prime minister and began to rule by decree. A year later, Saied fired dozens of judges.

Protests against his actions are crushed hard. Most political opponents of Saied, including Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Islamic party Ennahda, are in prison.

The president himself denies a dictatorial regime. He previously called the now -convicted opposition members « traitors and terrorists », and said that judges who would acquit them are complicit in their actions.

The lawyer of the opposition members, Ahmed Souab, told Reuters news agency on Friday that he has never experienced such a trial. « It is a farce, the judgments were already detained and what is happening is outrageous and embarrassing. »

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