Elham Asaad Buaras
A Tunisian court has handed down prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment to opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi and dozens of other defendants in the so-called “secret apparatus” case involving the Ennahdha Party.
The Tunis Court of First Instance on June 3 sentenced Ghannouchi, leader of Ennahdha and former speaker of parliament, to life imprisonment plus an additional 30 years on alleged terrorism-related charges.
Eleven other defendants, including Mustapha Khedher, a former security official linked to Ennahda, were also handed life sentences, in addition to prison terms of up to 96 years. A further 13 defendants received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 48 years.
The court found Ghannouchi and the other defendants guilty of “forming a terrorist alliance” and a range of related offences, including “placing skills and expertise at the disposal of a terrorist alliance and of persons linked to terrorist crimes”.
The court also ordered all defendants to be placed under administrative monitoring for five years.
The case dates back to early 2022, when authorities launched an investigation following a complaint by the public prosecutor’s office and lawyers representing the families of two assassinated left-wing politicians, Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi. Both men, who were vocal critics of Ennahdha, were killed in separate attacks in 2013.
Lawyers acting for the two families alleged that what they described as Ennahdha’s “secret apparatus” was involved in the assassinations, as well as in espionage activities and the infiltration of state institutions.
Ennahdha has consistently denied the accusations, describing them as politically motivated.
The public prosecutor’s office at the Ariana Court of First Instance initially handled the case before transferring it to the judicial counterterrorism unit in 2023.
The ruling comes amid growing concerns over Ghannouchi’s health. In April, Ennahdha said he had been urgently transferred from prison to hospital following a sharp deterioration in his condition and called for his immediate release. The opposition National Salvation Front also appealed for his release, citing concerns about his health.
Tunisian security forces arrested Ghannouchi at his home during a Ramadan gathering in 2023. He was subsequently imprisoned after a court found grounds to proceed with charges related to statements allegedly “inciting chaos and disobedience”.
On April 15, another court sentenced Ghannouchi and three other Ennahdha leaders to 20 years in prison in what became known as the “Ramadan soirée case”.
Tunisian authorities have repeatedly rejected allegations that Ghannouchi and other detained opposition figures are being held for political reasons.
Feature photo: Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 3, alongside dozens of other defendants, in the so-called “secret apparatus” case involving the Ennahdha Party. (Credit: Yassine Gaidi/AA)
