Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly “conspiring against state security,” marking the latest in a series of convictions widely criticized as politically motivated. Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party and former speaker of parliament, was among 18 politicians and officials sentenced on Tuesday, according to Tunisia’s state news agency.
Ghannouchi’s legal team rejected the charges and condemned the trial process as deeply flawed. The veteran politician, who has been behind bars since 2023, refused to attend the court session remotely. His conviction adds to over 20 years of prison terms from earlier verdicts, including those linked to alleged money laundering.
Rights groups have voiced alarm over Tunisia’s deteriorating political climate under President Kais Saied. Since Saied suspended parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree, dozens of opposition leaders, journalists, lawyers, and activists have been jailed. Critics say these moves reflect a broader authoritarian shift in the country that sparked the 2011 Arab Spring uprising with calls for democracy.
In a particularly controversial development, Ghannouchi’s children Mouadh and Tasnim were also sentenced in absentia to 35 years each. Both had fled the country prior to the trial. Former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem Bouchlaka and ex-intelligence chief Kamel Guizani received similar sentences in absentia, raising concerns about the targeting of political figures linked to previous administrations.
President Saied has consistently denied allegations of repression, asserting that his efforts are necessary to eliminate corruption and restore order. However, international watchdogs argue that the government’s heavy-handed tactics undermine Tunisia’s democratic gains and threaten civil liberties.
As Tunisia edges closer to full autocratic rule, the sentencing of Ghannouchi a key architect of post-revolution politics underscores the government’s determination to silence dissent. The fate of Tunisia’s democracy, once seen as a rare success story in the Arab world, now hangs in the balance.
