A Tunisian court has sentenced several opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers to prison terms ranging from 13 to 66 years on charges of conspiring against state security, according to a report from the state news agency TAP, citing a judicial official.
The sweeping verdicts have sparked sharp criticism from the opposition, which claims the charges are politically motivated and indicative of President Kais Saied’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
Since dissolving Tunisia’s parliament in 2021 and assuming rule by decree, Saied has tightened his grip on the judiciary. In 2022, he dismantled the independent Supreme Judicial Council, which rights groups say gave him unchecked control over judicial processes.
Although the TAP report did not provide details about individual sentences, it noted that 40 individuals, including high-profile politicians, businessmen, and journalists, were being prosecuted. More than 20 have reportedly fled the country since the charges were announced.
The opposition figures detained since 2023 are Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbrak, Abdelhamid Jlassi, Ridha Belhaj, and Khyam Turki.
Defense lawyer Ahmed Souab denounced the proceedings, calling them a “farce” on the eve of the verdict. “In my entire life, I have never witnessed a trial like this. The rulings are pre-decided. What is happening is scandalous and shameful,” he said.
The government maintains that the defendants, including former officials and ex-intelligence chief Kamel Guizani, attempted to destabilize Tunisia and plot a coup against Saied.
“This authoritarian regime has nothing to offer Tunisians except more repression,” said Hamma Hammami, leader of the opposition Workers’ Party.
President Saied has dismissed the criticism, insisting he is battling chaos and deep-rooted corruption among the political elite, not silencing dissent.
