The Tunis Opposition Party of Ennahdha scored a court sentence in which the leader was Rached Ghannouch Up to an additional 22 years in prison, saying that the charges were “desperate attack on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and the sharp politicization of his actions and judgments”.
Ennahdha issued a statement on Thursday, which saw that the proceedings were stunned by “innumerable violations” and the case against Ghannouchi “nothing more than a political trial”.
He added that they were reminiscent of “a period of people sought to leave through their revolution” in reference to Ejecting President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali In the popular protests that launched the Arab Spring of 2011.
Ghannouchi was arrested in April 2023 and convicted up to one year in prison under an incentive charges. The 83-year-old was the chief rival of President Kais Saied.
Last week was sentenced to three years in prison for charges that his party had received foreign contributions. Ennahdha, who rejected the allegations, was fined $ 1.1 million.
On Wednesday, the court sentenced him to an additional 22 years in prison for charges involving “conspiracy against state security”.
Ahmed Gaaloul, advisor Ghannouchi and former Minister Tunisia, told Al Jazeera that the party expects to even have even sharper penalties in the coming months.
“Saied needs a propaganda tool” at a time of deep economic crisis, Gaaloul said. “His discourse is to restore the wealth of people, that he is strong, but that has nothing to do with justice.”
He said Ennahdha would continue to challenge the proceedings at the International Courts. Ghannouchi, who Gaaloul said remained in a good mood, although he did not receive enough medical attention while in prison, refused to appear before the Tunisia judge to protest against the absence of an independent judiciary.
Gaaloul said that Saied’s government was supported by countries that have “security and stability” in Tunisia as their main interest, not democracy. “It failed in the 80s and 90s, and it will not succeed in this case,” he told Al Jazeera.
Several opposition leaders withstand prison sentences
On Wednesday, the Court also issued penalties for several other figures of the Ennahdha party, including former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who received 35 years.
Mechichichi has been living abroad since 2021, a few months after Saied fired it and closed the selected parliament in the move described opposition As a “coup”.
In the case, a total of 41 people were charged. Said Ferjani, a member of Ennahd’s political executive director who was arrested In February 2023 he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
In a statement published on X, his family said that they were equated against him “unfounded, charges in charge of silence critical votes”, part of Saied’s “authoritarian suppression of democracy and human rights.”
My father, said Ferjani, a Tunisian MP and a political prisoner, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after almost two years of illegal prior detention under the authoritarian conflict between President Kais Saied for democracy and human rights.
We, his family, reject this inhabitants … pic.twitter.com/y5rxgrin8e
– Chauther Ferjani (@The likeuther) 5th February 2025
The court also convicted Lazhara Longo, former intelligence director, and Mohamed Ali Aroui, a former spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, for 15 years in prison.
The defendants were Ghannouchi’s son Mouadh, his daughter Soumaya and his son -in -law Rafik Abdessalem, who was the Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs in Tunisia from 2011 to 2013. They were sentenced to 35, 25 and 34 years in prison.
The court also sentenced the penalties for several journalists who worked for the production of digital content called Instarenongo, which under control since Saied orchestrated its 2021.
Lawyer Mokthar JMAI told Reuters news agency that the court had imposed a 27-year-old counsel for journalist Chahrazad Akach, who fled abroad, and a five-year sentence to another journalist, Chadha Haj Mbarak, who had already been closed.
“These are unjust and political judgments aimed at eliminating political opponents,” JMAI said to the news agency, adding that he would complain of penalties.
Saied, a former law professor, suspended the Tunisian Parliament in 2021 and subsequently dissolved It will rule a decree.
Tunisia legislative elections At the end of 2022, but the voter response was low because of the opposition boycott. Earlier that year, Saied successfully pushed a Constitutional referendum This expanded the powers of the Presidency.
Critics warned the risk of the country returning to “authoritarianism”. The National Government for the Prevention of Passing on Wednesday said that the number of prison was “alarming” because the number of prisoners increased to more than 32,000, compared to about 22,000 from 2018 to 2021.
Saied repeatedly denied the implementation of a coup and said that his actions were needed to save Tunisia from years of chaos. But he struggled to revive the economy.
On Wednesday, Saied fired his Minister of Finance and appointed a judge in the role. The Presidency posted in a Facebook post in which Saied swore Michket straw Khaldi.
The Presidency initially did not give details for the decision and did not mention the departure Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia.
Khaldi is led by the National Commission, which is in charge of the return of public funds embedded before the rebellion against Ben Ali.
