- 40 defendants receive prison terms spanning 13-66 years
- Charges include conspiracy against state security and terror affiliations
- 2+ years pre-trial detention reported for multiple prisoners
- Human Rights Watch documents systemic suppression of critics
In a sweeping judicial decision shaking Tunisia's political landscape, a specialized counterterrorism court has imposed unprecedented sentences on prominent opposition figures. The verdicts cap a 5-month trial that international observers deem emblematic of President Kais Saied's authoritarian consolidation since his 2021 power grab.
Among those convicted are former parliamentarian Said Ferjani (13 years) and multiple Ennahdha party members central to Tunisia's democratic transition. Defense attorneys report unclear sentencing patterns, with at least 18 defendants receiving maximum penalties under Article 72 of Tunisia's counterterrorism law. The court alleged coordinated plots to destabilize institutions, though prosecutors presented no physical evidence according to trial observers.
This judicial offensive follows Saied's dissolution of parliament and assumption of decree powers three years ago - moves the European Parliament recently labeled constitutional subversion. Data from Tunisian watchdog Al Bawsala shows 1,936 politically motivated prosecutions since July 2021, with 89% involving free speech allegations.
Regional analysts note parallels to Egypt's post-2013 counterrevolutionary tactics, where terrorism statutes jailed 60,000 political prisoners. Unlike Cairo's blunt repression however, Tunis continues receiving IMF support despite democratic backsliding - a contradiction exposing geopolitical double standards in North Africa.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has demanded immediate prisoner releases, citing violations of fair trial standards under ICCPR Article 14. Meanwhile, Tunisia's economic crisis deepens as foreign investors shy from authoritarian markets - tourism revenues dropped 18% since 2022 amid political instability.
