A Tunisian court has sentenced several opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers to prison terms ranging from 13 to 66 years on charges of conspiring to destabilize the country. The harshest sentence, 66 years, was handed to businessman Kamel Ltaif, while opposition politician Khyam Turki received 48 years. Other prominent figures, including Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbrak, and Ridha Belhaj, were each sentenced to 18 years in prison. These individuals have been in custody since their detention in 2023 .
The trial, which began in March 2025, involved 40 defendants. Over 20 have fled abroad since being charged. Defense lawyers and opposition leaders have denounced the proceedings as politically motivated and emblematic of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian governance. Since dissolving Parliament and seizing full control of the judiciary in 2021, Saied has dismissed judges and curtailed judicial independence .
Rights groups and opposition figures argue that the charges are fabricated to suppress dissent and solidify one-man rule. They accuse Saied of orchestrating a coup and using the judiciary to silence opposition voices .
The Ennahdha party, led by Rached Ghannouchi, has condemned the sentences as a blatant assault on judicial independence and a politicization of legal procedures. Ghannouchi, who has been imprisoned since April 2023, faces multiple charges, including plotting against state security .
Amnesty International has called for an end to the erosion of judicial independence in Tunisia, highlighting the unlawful dismissal of judges and ongoing harassment of those who oppose the government’s measures .
As Tunisia approaches its upcoming presidential elections, critics warn that the government’s actions threaten the country’s democratic institutions and the rule of law.
