Tunisia’s Court of Cassation has upheld prison sentences of up to 45 years for dozens of opposition figures accused of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied. The ruling, issued on Thursday, concludes three years of legal proceedings against 40 individuals, including opposition party leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and human rights defenders. Half of those sentenced had fled the country and were tried in absentia.
Among those sentenced are National Salvation Front leader Najib Chebbi, who received a 12-year sentence, and opposition figures Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek, and Ridha Belhaj, each sentenced to 20 years. Politician Noureddine Bhiri was sentenced to 10 years.
Haifa Chebbi, a lawyer and Najib’s daughter, stated, "The ruling confirms that the judiciary is not independent," claiming that the case was designed to imprison opposition figures. She added, "Opponents entered prison by political decision and will leave when Saied falls."
Lawyers for the defendants reported being notified of the hearing just days before, which they argued left insufficient time to prepare a defense. Dalila Msaddek, whose brother Jawhar Ben Mbarek was convicted, commented on Facebook that "the legal battle is now over … what begins is a purely political battle."
This case is viewed as a significant indicator of Tunisia’s democratic decline since President Saied took office in 2019, during which he has ruled largely by decree, dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council, and dismissed numerous judges. The government has denied allegations of political persecution, with Tunisia’s justice minister stating that the defendants aimed to destabilize the country. President Saied has referred to the accused as "traitors and terrorists" and warned that judges who acquitted them would be treated as accomplices.