Tunisia: Tunisia Court Upholds Long Sentences in Mass Trial of Opposition Figures

What the report says

Tunisia’s Court of Cassation has rejected the final appeal in a high-profile conspiracy case involving dozens of opposition figures, lawyers and businessmen, leaving long prison terms in place. According to RFI’s report distributed by AllAfrica, the ruling was issued on Thursday and cannot be appealed further, ending a legal process that has stretched over roughly three years.

The court upheld sentences of up to 45 years for 34 defendants, while several prominent political figures received lengthy terms: Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek and Ridha Belhaj were each given 20 years, Noureddine Bhiri received 10 years, and National Salvation Front leader Nejib Chebbi got 12 years. Lawyers said 40 people were originally charged with plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied, including 20 who fled abroad and were tried in absentia.

Opposition figures and their lawyers said the decision shows Tunisia’s judiciary is not independent and deepens what they describe as Saied’s increasingly authoritarian rule. The case has become a major flashpoint in Tunisia’s political crisis, especially because many of the defendants are well-known critics of the president.

The report also places the ruling in the broader context of Tunisia’s post-2021 power shift, when Saied suspended parliament and expanded his authority. Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about shrinking civic space and judicial independence, while the president and his government have defended the prosecutions as lawful efforts to protect the state.