A prominent Tunisian court has handed down severe prison sentences ranging from ten years to life imprisonment against senior opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi and dozens of political co-defendants. The sweeping legal decisions were issued during a high-stakes counterterrorism trial linked to the operations of the Ennahdha party. The Tunis Court of First Instance officially finalized the judgements on Tuesday, marking a critical turning point in the nation`s ongoing political crisis.The judicial body sentenced Ghannouchi to life imprisonment plus an additional thirty years.
The veteran politician and former parliamentary speaker was found guilty of forming an illegal terrorist alliance and placing strategic expertise at the disposal of individuals linked to security crimes. Eleven other high-profile defendants, including a close senior adviser to former Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh, were also handed life terms alongside cumulative prison sentences reaching up to 96 years. Thirteen additional party members received standard prison sentences ranging between 10 and 48 years depending on their specific degree of involvement.
The state prosecution originally initiated the complex judicial inquiry in early 2022 following formal complaints lodged by the public prosecutor`s office. The legal motion was aggressively supported by legal teams representing the immediate families of left-wing politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi. Both secular figures were highly vocal critics of the Ennahdha party before they were targeted and assassinated by armed gunmen in separate incidents back in 2013.Lawyers for the victims` families repeatedly accused Ennahdha’s internal apparatus of orchestrating the historical political assassinations.
Ennahdha leadership has continually rejected the severe legal allegations, describing the entire trial process as a politically motivated witch hunt designed to eliminate democratic dissent. Last April, party spokespersons warned that the 84-year-old Ghannouchi had been urgently transferred from his prison cell to a specialized medical facility following a sharp deterioration in his physical baseline. The opposition National Salvation Front immediately issued public appeals demanding his release on compassionate medical grounds. National security forces originally arrested the elderly leader at his private residence during a religious gathering in 2023, while modern state administrators continue to deny that the ongoing detentions are based on ideological or political factors.
