A Tunisian court has sentenced politicians, businessmen, and lawyers to prison terms ranging from 13 to 66 years in a mass trial that opponents claim is fabricated and an example of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian rule. The longest sentence was handed down to businessman Kamel Ltaif, who received 66 years.
Opposition figures Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbarek, and Ridha Belhaj were sentenced to 18 years in prison each. Many defendants have been in custody since 2023, while over 20 more have fled abroad due to the charges against them.
Rights groups say President Saied has maintained control over the judiciary since dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by decree. He secured a second five-year term in 2024 with 90.7% of the vote after coming to power in 2019.
The opposition leaders involved in the case accuse Saied of staging a coup in 2021 and claim the trial is fabricated to silence them and establish one-man, repressive rule. They were preparing an initiative to unite the fragmented opposition when arrested.
Most leaders of political parties, including Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi, who are prominent opponents of Saied, are currently in prison. The opposition alleges that the trial is a tool for authorities to criminalise dissent and stifle opposition voices.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/20/tunisia-court-prison-sentences-kais-saied