Tunisia Court Upholds Long Sentences in Mass Trial of Opposition Figures
Rights groups condemned the verdicts as unfounded after 34 opposition figures and lawyers received prison terms of up to 45 years.
- On Thursday, Tunisia's Cassation Court upheld prison sentences of up to 45 years for dozens of opposition figures, concluding three years of legal proceedings against 40 individuals charged with conspiracy.
- President Kais Saied has consolidated power since 2021, suspending parliament and ruling by decree; rights groups allege he controls the judiciary by dissolving the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissing judges.
- Key opposition figures including Ghazi Chaouachi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek received 20-year sentences, while National Salvation Front leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi was sentenced to 12 years; 20 defendants were sentenced in absentia.
- Lawyer Haifa Chebbi, daughter of Nejib Chebbi, stated the ruling confirms the judiciary is not independent, while Amnesty International urged authorities to "rectify a travesty of justice" against 34 prominent figures.
- Dalila Msaddek wrote that the "legal battle is now over & what begins is a purely political battle," as Saied previously labeled the accused "traitors and terrorists" while rejecting persecution claims.
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In response to the support of the Tunisian Court of Cassation for the convictions and long prison sentences of 34 accused in the politically motivated conspiracy case, Yasmin Ahmed, Chief Director of the Regional Impact on Human Rights, said: "The decision of the Tunisian Court of Cassation to support these unjust convictions constitutes a severe blow to justice and a flagrant condemnation of the Tunisian justice system.
Tunisia court upholds long sentences in mass trial of opposition figures
Tunisia's top court has turned down the final appeal of dozens of opposition leaders, lawyers and businessmen convicted in a major conspiracy case, in a ruling opponents said further entrenches President Kais Saied's authoritarian rule.
Tunisia - Court Upholds Unjust Conspiracy Convictions
Press Release - Tunisia's Court of Cassation on September 3, 2026, upheld the convictions and heavy sentences of 34 people for "conspiracy against state security" and terrorism offenses in November 2025. Human Rights Watch had criticized the earlier trial as unjust and a sham, with final sentences ranging from 5 to 45 years. The Court of Cassation, Tunisia's highest court, was the final avenue for overturning the convictions.
Critics claim Tunisia’s judiciary acts under political pressure, as opposition leaders face lengthy prison terms.
Tunisia's Court of Cassation on Thursday rejected the appeal in the "conspiracy against state security" case, confirming the heavy sentences handed down on appeal in November 2025 against some 40 people, including opposition figures and lawyers.
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