A Tunisian appeals court has extended the prison sentence of opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to 20 years, marking another escalation in President Kais Saied’s sustained crackdown on political opponents that has alarmed international human rights organizations.
The appeals court also sentenced Kamal Al-Badawi, a former security official, to the same 20-year term. Several other defendants received reduced sentences in the proceedings, including Rayan Al-Hamzawi, mayor of Zahra in Ben Arous governorate, whose sentence was cut from 12 years to three.
Political Persecution or Justice?
Tunisian authorities maintain that Ghannouchi and other defendants face legitimate criminal charges related to state security, denying any political motivation behind the prosecutions. The government has consistently rejected international criticism of its judicial proceedings as interference in Tunisia’s internal affairs.
However, critics and human rights groups characterize the trials as part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent. Ghannouchi’s legal team has rejected the conspiracy allegations, arguing that court proceedings have failed to meet basic standards of fairness and due process.
“All accusations were based on false and contradictory testimony by a secret, anonymous witness who failed to present any evidence,” Ghannouchi’s lawyers said in a statement, adding that the witness ultimately retracted most claims.
Sweeping Crackdown Continues
Ghannouchi has been imprisoned since April 2023 and now faces more than 40 years behind bars across multiple separate cases. His detention represents the highest-profile arrest in Saied’s ongoing consolidation of power, which began when the president suspended parliament in July 2021 and began ruling by decree.
The court also upheld harsh sentences against other opposition figures, including 35-year terms for Mouadh Ghannouchi, the opposition leader’s son, and former intelligence chief Kamel Guizani, both currently living abroad. Family members were sentenced in absentia, with Ghannouchi’s daughter receiving 25 years and his son-in-law, former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem, receiving 34 years.
The National Authority for the Prevention of Torture reported that Tunisia’s prison population has surged to more than 32,000 inmates, compared to approximately 22,000 between 2018 and 2021. The dramatic increase has raised concerns about conditions in the country’s detention facilities.
Democracy in Retreat
Tunisia was long celebrated as the Arab Spring’s sole democratic success story following the 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ennahda emerged as one of the country’s largest political parties in the post-revolution era, with Ghannouchi leading power-sharing arrangements that were seen as models for democratic transition in the region.
Since consolidating power, Saied has dissolved parliament, dismantled the Supreme Judicial Council, dismissed dozens of judges, and rewritten the constitution to expand presidential authority. Most opposition figures from across the political spectrum have been either imprisoned or forced into exile.
The former law professor has repeatedly denied conducting a coup, insisting his actions were necessary to save Tunisia from years of political chaos and endemic corruption. Saied maintains his measures are legal and designed to restore order and protect the state.
International organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented what they describe as an escalating assault on civil liberties, judicial independence, and political freedoms.
The organizations have called for Ghannouchi’s immediate release and restoration of democratic institutions.
