Tunisia’s former speaker Rached Ghannouchi sentenced to year in jail
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Loading... - Pauline Roussel
- 24 May 2023
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The leader of Ennahda, Tunisia's opposition party, Rached Ghannouchi, received a one-year prison sentence from a Tunisian judge on Monday. Ghannouchi, who previously served as the house speaker, has been held in pre-trial detention for over a month and was absent during the sentencing. The Tunis Court of First Instance judge imposed a one-year imprisonment term and a fine of 1,000 Tunisian dinars ($326) on Ghannouchi for the alleged offense of "glorification of terrorism." It is worth noting that the judge issued the verdict without considering the defense presented by Ghannouchi's lawyer.
Back in February, the 81-year-old Ghannouchi appeared in court following a case filed against him by a police union. The accusation was related to his alleged labeling of officers as "tyrants." The incident took place during a eulogy delivered by the Ennahda leader at the funeral of a party member in February 2021. Ennahda has consistently refuted the allegations surrounding the case, stating that the term "tyrant" was taken out of context. According to Ennahda, Ghannouchi's speech intended to honor the late individual's peaceful struggle against the dictatorships of Presidents Bourguiba and Ben Ali, rather than defaming anyone.
Recent weeks have witnessed the arrest of numerous opposition figures in Tunisia, including members of the National Salvation Front and Ennahda, its principal constituent. These arrests and subsequent prosecutions have raised concerns from various entities, such as the United States, the European Parliament, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. Businessmen, journalists, and other individuals have also been involved in these legal proceedings.
Tunisian President Kais Saied, who froze Parliament in July 2021 and unilaterally implemented significant changes to the country's political system, has consistently portrayed the detainees as terrorists. Without providing evidence, he has accused them of conspiring against Tunisia's national security. Critics have accused President Saied of interfering with the judiciary's independence and leveraging his authority to influence the investigation.
