A Tunisian court has handed lengthy prison terms to several prominent politicians, former officials, and journalists on charges of conspiring against the state, a move critics claim is designed to silence opposition to President Kais Saied. Among those sentenced was Rached Ghannouchi, the 83-year-old veteran leader of the Islamist-leaning Ennahda party, who received a 22-year term despite already serving part of a previous sentence, and former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who was given 35 years in absentia, having fled abroad since 2021. Defense lawyers and opposition figures denounced the verdicts as politically motivated, arguing that the trials represent a blatant violation of judicial independence and a systematic effort to dismantle the democracy established after the 2011 revolution. Additional sentences, including a 27-year term for a journalist and five years for another, further fueled protests, with critics calling on the government to honor due process and respect human rights.
Source: Reuters
