In a verdict widely condemned as politically motivated, dozens of opposition politicians and journalists have received lengthy prison terms in a case that critics argue is designed to silence dissent. Among those sentenced was 83-year-old Rached Ghannouchi, the jailed opposition leader and head of the Ennahda party, who was handed another 22-year prison term on Wednesday, according to reports from legal representatives.
Ghannouchi, who has been held behind bars since 2023, was not alone in facing severe punishment. Deposed former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi received a sentence of 35 years in absentia, while prominent journalist Chahrazed Akacha was given 27 years behind bars, also in absentia. Other notable figures include Mohamed Ali Aroui, the former spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, who was sentenced to 16 years, and Ennahda official Said Ferjani, who faced 13 years in prison.
The case, which centres on the controversial Instalingo digital content production firm, has been a focal point for the authorities ever since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab. The firm has been under intense scrutiny for its alleged role in facilitating activities that the prosecution claims undermined the integrity of Tunisian territory. According to the charges, those involved were accused of “joining a gang that works to change the form of the state and commit hostilities against the president.”
Defence lawyers have highlighted that 17 of the individuals charged in connection with the case were already in detention at the time of sentencing, with prison terms ranging from five to 37 years. In a statement, one of the defence team’s lawyers argued that the charges were based on evidence that was “decided in advance” and lacked substantiation. “It is clear that the judicial process in this instance has been tainted by political interference,” the lawyer said, referring to the sweeping nature of the sentences.
At the commencement of the trial on Tuesday, Ghannouchi notably refused to appear before the judge, a protest against what he described as the absence of an independent judiciary. Zeineb Brahmi, one of his legal representatives, criticised the proceedings, stating that the trial had become “a farce designed to further the regime’s political objectives rather than deliver genuine justice.”
The outrage over the verdict has not been confined to legal experts and opposition figures. Kaouther Ferjani, daughter of Said Ferjani, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her family’s dismay, condemning the sentence as “farcical” and based on “baseless, trumped-up charges designed to silence critical voices.” Ferjani went on to assert that her family stood “in full solidarity with him and all defenders of human rights facing repression” in Tunisia.
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Adding to the chorus of dissent, Zied Dabbar, head of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, strongly criticised the sentence handed to journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek. Dabbar warned that the heavy and unjust sentencing illustrated how the judiciary had effectively become “a sword hanging over the heads of journalists,” stifling free expression and press freedom across the nation.
The Ennahda party, which once commanded significant influence in Tunisia’s parliament before President Saied dissolved it in 2021, has described the entire process as overtly political. Party spokespeople argued that the judicial actions were part of a broader strategy by the current government to marginalise opposition voices and curtail political freedoms. They insist that the charges are politically motivated and represent an alarming escalation in the systematic suppression of dissent in Tunisia.
As both domestic and international human rights organisations have raised concerns over the state of political freedoms in Tunisia under President Saied’s increasingly autocratic rule, the latest sentencing only deepens the crisis. Observers fear that the harsh sentences could set a dangerous precedent, emboldening further crackdowns on political opposition and independent journalism in a country already reeling from significant political and economic challenges.
