A Tunisian court sentenced opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to three years in prison for allegedly receiving foreign contributions, amid a crackdown on dissent. The Ennahda Party was fined $1.1m for the same offense. Ghannouchi’s son-in-law, Rafik Abdessalem, received a similar sentence. Ennahda denied the accusations, calling them unjust. Ghannouchi, a former speaker of the Tunisian parliament, was also sentenced last year on separate charges. Human rights groups criticized the government’s actions, citing a pattern of repression. President Kais Saied, elected in 2019, has faced criticism for consolidating power and undermining democratic institutions. Critics argue his actions risk returning Tunisia to authoritarianism. Despite claiming to fight corruption, Saied’s policies have been accused of stifling political opposition. Ennahda, once a prominent party in Tunisia, has faced government crackdowns, including the closure of its headquarters last year.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}