Rached Ghannouchi, Tunisia’s opposition leader and former parliament speaker, received a three-year prison sentence for accepting external financing, as reported by his lawyer on Thursday.
Ghannouchi, 82, is the leader of the Ennahda party, the main opposition force in the country, and a key player in the democratic transition after the 2011 revolution that ousted dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.
He has been in jail since April 2023, along with other opposition figures, after President Kais Saied dissolved the parliament and suspended the constitution in a move that critics denounced as a coup.
Saied, elected as an outsider with no political affiliation in 2019, asserted that he took action to rescue the country from corruption and economic crisis. He has since ruled by decree and appointed a loyalist as prime minister while cracking down on his opponents and the media.
Ghannouchi’s lawyer, Monia Bouali, said that the court also imprisoned Ghannouchi’s son-in-law Rafik Abdessalem, a senior Ennahda official, to three years in prison in the same case, and fined the Islamist party $1.1 million.
Bouali said the verdict was “unfair and politically motivated” and that they would appeal.
Ennahda condemned the ruling as a “political assassination” and a “violation of the most basic human rights”.
“This is a dangerous precedent that threatens the future of democracy and the rule of law in Tunisia,” the party said in a statement.
The party also called on its supporters to protest peacefully against the “tyranny” of Saied and to demand the restoration of the parliament and the constitution.
The United States, the European Union, and other international partners have expressed concern over the situation in Tunisia and urged Saied to respect human rights and return to a democratic path.
Saied has said he will not be a dictator and that he will hold elections as soon as possible, but he has not given a clear timetable or roadmap for his reforms.
He leveled accusations against his critics, labeling them as criminals, traitors, and terrorists. Furthermore, he cautioned that any judge granting their release would be seen as aiding them.
Ghannouchi was a prominent figure in the 2011 revolution and served as parliament speaker from 2019 until Saied shut down the chamber in 2021.
He has advocated for dialogue and compromise among the political factions and has rejected violence and extremism.
His supporters say he is a victim of a political vendetta and a smear campaign that aims to eliminate Ennahda from the political scene.
Despite the challenges and uncertainties, many Tunisians still hope for a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis and a return to the spirit of the 2011 revolution.
Source: Reuters
