Tunisia’s opposition Ennahdha get together has slammed a court docket sentencing its chief Rached Ghannouchi to an extra 22 years in jail, saying the costs had been “a blatant assault on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and a blatant politicisation of its procedures and rulings”.
Ennahdha issued an announcement on Thursday saying the proceedings had been marred by “innumerable violations” and the case towards Ghannouchi was “nothing greater than a political trial”.
It added that they had been paying homage to “a interval that individuals sought to go away behind by their revolution” in a reference to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in widespread protests that triggered the 2011 Arab Spring.
Ghannouchi was arrested in April 2023 and sentenced to at least one 12 months in jail on fees of incitement. The 83-year-old has been the primary rival of President Kais Saied.
Final week, he was sentenced to a few years in jail over accusations that his get together obtained international contributions. Ennahdha, which rejected the allegations, was fined $1.1m.
A court docket on Wednesday sentenced him to an extra 22 years in jail on fees that included “plotting towards state safety”.
Ahmed Gaaloul, an adviser to Ghannouchi and a former Tunisian minister, instructed Al Jazeera the get together was anticipating even harsher sentences to be handed out within the coming months.
“Saied wants a propaganda instrument” at a time of deep financial disaster, Gaaloul mentioned. “His discourse is that he’s bringing again the individuals’s wealth, that he’s sturdy, however this has nothing to do with justice.”
He mentioned Ennahdha would proceed to problem the proceedings in worldwide courts. Ghannouchi, who Gaaloul mentioned stays in good spirits regardless of not receiving enough medical consideration whereas in jail, is refusing to look earlier than a choose in Tunisia to protest towards the absence of an impartial judiciary.
Gaaloul mentioned Saied’s authorities was being backed by nations which have “safety and stability” in Tunisia as their prime curiosity fairly than democracy. “This didn’t work within the ‘80s and the ‘90s, and it’ll not work on this case,” he instructed Al Jazeera.
A number of opposition leaders handed jail sentences
The court docket additionally issued sentences on Wednesday for a number of different figures from the Ennahdha get together, together with former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who obtained 35 years.
Mechichi has been dwelling overseas since 2021, a couple of months after Saied sacked him and shut down the elected parliament in a transfer the opposition described as a “coup”.
A complete of 41 individuals had been charged within the case. Stated Ferjani, a member of Ennahda’s political government who was detained in February 2023, was sentenced to 13 years in jail.
In an announcement posted on X, his household mentioned these levelled towards him had been “baseless, trumped-up fees designed to silence crucial voices,” a part of Saied’s “authoritarian crackdown on democracy and human rights.”
My father, Stated Ferjani, Tunisian MP and political prisoner, has been sentenced to 13 years in jail after almost two years of illegal pretrial detention underneath President Kais Saied’s authoritarian crackdown on democracy and human rights.
We, his household, reject this farcical… pic.twitter.com/y5rXgRIN8e
— Kaouther Ferjani (@TheKaouther) February 5, 2025
The court docket additionally sentenced Lazhar Longo, a former intelligence director, and Mohamed Ali Aroui, a former Ministry of the Inside spokesman, to fifteen years in jail every.
Among the many defendants had been Ghannouchi’s son Mouadh, his daughter Soumaya and his son-in-law Rafik Abdessalem, who served as Tunisia’s international affairs minister from 2011 to 2013. They had been sentenced to 35, 25 and 34 years in jail, respectively.
The court docket additionally issued sentences for a number of journalists working for a digital content material manufacturing agency known as Instalingo, which has been underneath scrutiny since Saied orchestrated his 2021 energy seize.
Lawyer Mokthar Jmai instructed the Reuters information company the court docket handed a 27-year sentence to journalist Chahrazad Akacha, who has fled overseas, and a five-year sentence to a different journalist, Chadha Haj Mbarak, who was already jailed.
“These are unjust and political rulings that purpose to remove political opponents,” Jmai instructed the information company, including that they might enchantment towards the sentences.
Saied, a former regulation professor, suspended the Tunisian parliament in 2021 and subsequently dissolved it to rule by decree.
Tunisia held legislative elections in late 2022, however voter turnout was low because of an opposition boycott. Earlier that 12 months, Saied had efficiently pushed a constitutional referendum that expanded the powers of the presidency.
Critics have warned of the danger of bringing the nation again to “authoritarianism”. The Nationwide Authority for the Prevention of Torture on Wednesday mentioned jail figures had been “alarming” as inmate numbers have risen to greater than 32,000, in contrast with about 22,000 from 2018 to 2021.
Saied has repeatedly denied conducting a coup and mentioned his actions had been wanted to save lots of Tunisia from years of chaos. However he has struggled to revive the financial system.
On Wednesday, Saied sacked his finance minister and appointed a Justice of the Peace to the position. The presidency made the announcement in a Fb put up that confirmed Michket Slama Khaldi being sworn into workplace by Saied.
The presidency initially gave no particulars for the choice and didn’t point out outgoing Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia.
Khaldi has headed a nationwide fee tasked with recovering public funds embezzled earlier than the 2011 revolt towards Ben Ali.
