Final Verdict: Tunisia's Court Confirms Harsh Sentences for Opposition Leaders

Tunisia's Court of Cassation has delivered a decisive ruling, solidifying the convictions of numerous opposition figures and activists, with prison terms reaching as high as 45 years. This verdict, announced on Thursday, brings to a close a lengthy legal saga involving 40 individuals accused of plotting against President Kais Saied.

The mass trial has seen prominent opposition leaders, including Najib Chebbi, receive significant sentences—Chebbi himself facing 12 years in prison. Others, such as Ghazi Chaouachi and Issam Chebbi, were sentenced to 20 years each, while politician Noureddine Bhiri received 10 years. Notably, half of the convicted individuals are currently outside Tunisia and were sentenced in absentia, highlighting the precarious situation for dissenters.

Critics, including Najib Chebbi's daughter, lawyer Haifa Chebbi, have condemned the ruling as a clear indicator of the judiciary's lack of independence. She stated that the case appears to be orchestrated to silence opposition voices, affirming that her father and others were imprisoned due to a political agenda. Furthermore, lawyers representing the defendants expressed frustration at being given insufficient notice to prepare their case for the ruling. As the legal avenues appear exhausted, the family of Jawhar Ben Mbarek, another convicted figure, has asserted that the real conflict is now political, as they brace for ongoing struggles against the current regime.

Source: www.aljazeera.com