Tunisian court sentences Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi to life in prison
The Tunis Court of First Instance convicted the opposition leader and dozens of others of forming a terrorist alliance, sparking claims of political persecution from Ennahdha while authorities deny the charges are driven by political motives.
A Tunisian court has sentenced Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi to life imprisonment plus 30 years on terrorism-related charges, marking a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against the country’s main opposition party. The Tunis Court of First Instance found Ghannouchi and dozens of other defendants guilty of forming a terrorist alliance in the so-called “secret apparatus” case, Tunis Afrique Presse reported on Tuesday.
Eleven other defendants, including Ali Laarayedh, an adviser to former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh, received life sentences in addition to prison terms of up to 96 years. Thirteen others were handed prison terms ranging from 10 to 48 years. The court also ordered all defendants to be placed under administrative monitoring for five years.
The convictions stem from allegations linking Ennahdha to the 2013 assassinations of leftist politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi. Lawyers representing the victims’ families accused what they termed Ennahdha’s “secret apparatus” of involvement in the killings, as well as conducting espionage and infiltrating state institutions. The public prosecutor’s office initially took up the case in early 2022, before handing it over to the judicial counterterrorism unit in 2023.
Ennahdha has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated. Tunisian authorities have similarly denied accusations that Ghannouchi and other detainees are being held on political grounds. Ghannouchi was originally arrested at his home during a Ramadan gathering in 2023 and was previously sentenced to 20 years in a separate case concerning a Ramadan soirée.
In April, Ennahdha reported that Ghannouchi was urgently transferred from prison to hospital due to a sharp deterioration in his health. The opposition National Salvation Front called for his release, citing his health, as authorities continue to pursue charges related to forming a terrorist alliance and placing skills at the disposal of such groups.
