Tunisia's Supreme Court Confirms Harsh Sentences for Opposition Leaders

Tunisia's Cassation Court has upheld severe prison sentences reaching up to 45 years for several opposition figures, lawyers, and businessmen involved in a controversial conspiracy case. This ruling, announced on Thursday, is seen by critics as a move that solidifies President Kais Saied's grip on power.

In a significant legal conclusion following three years of proceedings, the court confirmed sentences for 40 individuals charged with plotting to overthrow the government. Among them, twenty were sentenced in absentia after fleeing abroad. Notable opposition leader Nejib Chebbi, whose daughter Haifa Chebbi represents him legally, received a 12-year term. She voiced her concerns, stating, "The ruling confirms that the judiciary is not independent," and suggested that the opposition's imprisonment is politically motivated.

President Saied has consistently defended the integrity of the judiciary, asserting that he does not seek to become a dictator. He labeled those arrested as "traitors and terrorists," claiming that any judges who might consider their acquittal would be complicit in their alleged crimes. Rights organizations, however, have criticized Saied's administration for exerting control over the judiciary following his extraordinary power grab in 2021, which included dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissing numerous judges in 2022.

Source: www.france24.com