Tunisia court upholds prison sentences of up to 45 years for opposition figures

What the report says

Tunisia’s Cassation Court has upheld prison terms of up to 45 years for opposition leaders, lawyers and businessmen convicted in a conspiracy case, closing the final stage of a three-year legal process. According to France 24 and Reuters, the ruling covers 40 defendants accused of trying to overthrow President Kais Saied; 20 of them had fled abroad and were tried in absentia.

The decision affects several well-known political figures. The article says National Salvation Front leader Nejib Chebbi received 12 years, while Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek and Ridha Belhaj were each sentenced to 20 years. Politician Noureddine Bhiri received a 10-year sentence. Lawyers and families quoted in the report said the verdict cannot be appealed and argued it shows the judiciary is not independent.

Opposition figures and rights groups say the case reflects a broader tightening of power under Saied, who suspended parliament and expanded his authority in 2021. France 24 notes that critics accuse him of weakening judicial independence by dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council and removing judges in 2022, while Saied has said the courts remain independent and that his opponents were trying to destabilize the country. The case matters because it is one of Tunisia’s largest recent political prosecutions and has become a symbol of the country’s deepening political divide.