Former Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for facilitating Tunisian jihadists’ travel to Syria over the past decade.
Larayedh, a senior official of the Islamist opposition party Ennahda, has been detained since 2022 and denies the charges, claiming the case is politically motivated.
He served as prime minister from 2013 to 2014, following Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.
The case involved seven other defendants, including former Interior Ministry officials, with sentences ranging from three to 24 years.
Ennahda has faced criticism for allegedly facilitating the travel of Tunisians to join Islamic State groups in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, an accusation the party strongly denies.
Larayedh’s sentencing is seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Tunisia, following President Kais Saied’s seizure of broad powers in 2021.
Saied’s actions have been criticized by human rights groups and opposition parties, who claim he is consolidating power and suppressing democratic institutions.
The verdict has sparked concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in Tunisia, a country that was seen as a beacon of hope for Arab Spring reforms.
Ennahda has vowed to appeal the sentence, with party officials denouncing the trial as “politically motivated” and “unfair”.
