Tunisia opposition figures get prison terms after mass trial

TUNIS

A Tunisian court handed down jail sentences of between 13 and 66 years to multiple defendants, including prominent opposition figures, for national security offences, local media reported on April 19.

The trial, criticised by rights groups and decried by a defence lawyer as a "masquerade", is of unprecedented scale with around 40 defendants including vocal critics of President Kais Saied.

They were found guilty of "conspiracy against state security" and "belonging to a terrorist group", an official from the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office told media outlets including Jahwara FM.

Among the well-known opposition names in the trial are Jawhar Ben Mbarek, Abdelhamid Jelassi and Issam Chebbi, founder of the opposition National Salvation Front coalition, all staunch critics of Saied.

Also among the accused are the activists Khayam Turki and Chaima Issa and the businessman Kamel Eltaief.

Since proceedings began on March 4, lawyers for the defence have repeatedly called for all the defendants to appear in court, including at least six who have been on hunger strike.

The lawyers denounced the case as "empty", while Human Rights Watch said the trial was taking place in the context of repression, with President Saied "weaponising the judicial system to target opponents and dissidents".

Since Saied launched a power grab in the summer of 2021, during which he assumed total control, rights advocates and opposition figures have decried a rollback of freedoms in the North African country where the 2011 Arab Spring began.