Tunisia’s Court of Cassation has dismissed the final appeals of dozens of opposition figures in a landmark trial, confirming prison sentences of up to 45 years for individuals accused of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied. The ruling on Thursday concludes three years of legal proceedings involving 40 defendants, including political leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and human rights advocates. Approximately half of those convicted were sentenced in absentia after fleeing the country.
Among those affected by the decision is Najib Chebbi, leader of the National Salvation Front, who was handed a 12-year sentence. Other prominent opposition figures, including Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek, and Ridha Belhaj, each received 20-year terms, while politician Noureddine Bhiri was sentenced to 10 years.
Critics argued the proceedings lacked fairness. Haifa Chebbi, a lawyer and daughter of Najib Chebbi, stated that the verdict demonstrated the judiciary is not independent. She described the case as a politically motivated effort to imprison dissenters, asserting, “Opponents entered prison by political decision and will leave when Saied falls.” Additionally, defense attorneys reported they were notified of the Thursday hearing only on Monday, leaving insufficient time to prepare their clients’ defenses.
Dalila Msaddek, whose brother Jawhar Ben Mbarek was among the convicted, expressed on Facebook that the legal phase has ended and a “purely political battle” now begins. The case is viewed as a significant indicator of democratic decline since Saied assumed office in 2019. Since taking power, Saied has governed largely through decrees, dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council, and dismissed numerous judges.
The Tunisian government has rejected claims of political persecution. Justice Minister said the defendants intended to destabilize the nation. In 2023, President Saied labeled the accused “traitors and terrorists” and warned that any judges who acquitted them would be treated as accomplices.
Forty-five years for opposing the president? This feels less like justice and more like a brutal silencing of dissent.
I lived through these trials. The lack of due process was obvious from day one. How can any court claim fairness here?
Is this really the end, or just the beginning of a deeper political crisis? Stability through imprisonment seems fragile.
Dismissing appeals without thorough review sets a terrible precedent. What happens to judicial independence in Tunisia now?
My brother was among the accused. We waited three years only to hear that dissent equals treason. It’s heartbreaking.