A Tunisian court has sentenced several opposition leaders, activists, lawyers, and businessmen to long prison terms on charges of conspiracy and terrorism. The controversial ruling, delivered late on Friday, is seen by critics as part of President Kais Saied’s ongoing clampdown on political dissent.
Among the 40 defendants, many of whom were tried in absentia, are prominent figures from the National Salvation Front, Tunisia’s main opposition coalition. Those currently in detention include leaders Issam Chebbi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek, who received 18-year prison sentences. Businessman and activist Kamel Eltaief was handed a staggering 66-year term.
“These sentences are not the result of fair judicial proceedings but rather political decrees dressed as court rulings,” said Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister tried in absentia. Defence lawyer Ahmed Souab criticized the trial as a “farce,” echoing widespread concern over the erosion of judicial independence in the country.
The charges—”conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group”—stem from arrests made in 2023, a year after President Saied secured a second term in office. Since first being elected in 2019, Saied has suspended parliament, cracked down on dissent, and sidelined potential rivals under what he calls a mission to root out corruption and betrayal.
Amnesty International and other rights organizations have expressed alarm over what they describe as Tunisia’s “worrying decline in fundamental rights.” They argue that the government is using the legal system as a tool to eliminate opposition voices and dismantle the country’s fragile democratic gains.
Tunisia was once seen as a rare success story of the Arab Spring, having overthrown long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and embraced a democratic path. However, recent developments have raised fears of a return to authoritarianism.
President Saied has dismissed the criticism, insisting his actions target a “corrupt elite” and are necessary for national stability. Yet, with growing discontent over political repression and economic hardship, Tunisia’s future hangs in a delicate balance.
