A Tunisian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on a series of terrorism-related charges. Laarayedh, a prominent critic of President Kais Saied, is the latest high-profile opponent of the president to face imprisonment, fueling accusations of politically motivated trials designed to silence dissent.
The 69-year-old leader of the Ennahda party, Tunisia’s largest political party with Islamist ideals, was convicted alongside seven others. They were accused of establishing a terrorist cell and facilitating the travel of Tunisian youths to conflict zones like Iraq and Syria to join Islamist fighters. Laarayedh, who served as prime minister from 2013 to 2014, has consistently denied the charges, insisting that he is a victim of a politically driven plot.
In a letter to the court’s prosecutor prior to his sentencing, Laarayedh asserted, “I am not a criminal… I am a victim in this case.” His supporters echo this sentiment, arguing that his imprisonment is part of a broader effort by Saied’s government to target and neutralize political opponents.
Human rights organizations have been vocal in condemning the trial. Campaigners view the charges as part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Tunisia, where at least 40 critics of the president have been jailed in recent weeks, including diplomats, lawyers, and journalists. Rights groups claim the trials highlight the increasing authoritarianism of President Saied, who dissolved the parliament in 2021 and has since ruled by decree. His actions are seen as an effort to consolidate power, with accusations that the judiciary is now under his control.
Laarayedh’s sentencing comes at a time of heightened political tension in Tunisia. The country, which sparked the Arab Spring in 2011, has seen its democratic gains erode under Saied’s leadership. Many Tunisians now lament the loss of the freedoms gained in the uprising, with critics warning that the country’s future remains uncertain under a president who has increasingly marginalized opposition voices.
