Ghannouchi and other Tunisians handed further long prison sentences

Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, already imprisoned, was sentenced to a further lengthy jail term on Wednesday. Concurrently, several other prominent political figures and journalists have also received similar sentences, highlighting the ongoing crackdown on dissent.

According to lawyers speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Ghannouchi, 83, the leader of the Ennahdha movement, has been imprisoned since 2023. This latest sentence adds an additional 22 years to his imprisonment. Furthermore, ousted Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and journalist Chahrazed Akacha received a 27-year sentence, both in absentia, reflecting the severity of the government's actions against perceived opponents.

Former Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Ennahdha official Said Ferjani received a 13-year sentence. These cases are linked to Instalingo, a digital content production company that has been under intense scrutiny since Tunisian President Kais Saied seized power in 2021, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the targeting of media outlets.

Lawyers stated that 17 of those accused have been detained, with sentences ranging from 5 to 37 years. One defense lawyer claimed that the charges include "harming the integrity of Tunisian territory" and "joining a group aimed at changing the form of the state and carrying out hostile actions against the president," indicating a broad interpretation of national security concerns.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Ghannouchi refused to appear in court to protest "the lack of an independent judiciary," according to one of the defendant's lawyers, Zineb Brahmi. Kawsar Ferjani, the daughter of Said Ferjani, expressed her support for her father on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that she and her family "reject this absurd verdict based on unfounded fabricated charges aimed at silencing critical voices." "We stand in full solidarity with him and all human rights defenders facing repression," she added, emphasizing the widespread concern over the suppression of dissent.

In an interview with AFP, Kawsar called the charges a "political affair" and stated that the verdict was "predetermined" without any evidence. Ziad Dabbara, president of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, condemned the "harsh and unjust" sentence against journalist Chada Hadj Mbarek. He stated that this "proves that the judiciary has become a sword hanging over the heads of journalists," highlighting the increasing pressure on media freedom. The Ennahdha movement has denounced the process as "political," further underscoring the perceived lack of impartiality.

The Ennahdha movement, which describes itself as an Islamic democratic party, was the largest force in the Tunisian parliament before Saied dissolved it in 2021. Since Saied consolidated power, Tunisian and international human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the state of political freedoms in the country, signaling a potential erosion of democratic values and the rule of law.