In a landmark and highly controversial ruling, a Tunisian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh to 34 years in prison over allegations that he facilitated the departure of Tunisian fighters to Syria. The verdict has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and human rights groups, who warn it signals a deepening erosion of democratic norms in the North African nation.
Larayedh, a senior leader in the opposition Ennahdha party and a former interior minister, has strongly denied the charges. During his court appearance, he declared, “I was neither sympathetic, nor complicit, nor neutral, nor lenient towards violence, terrorism.” He further condemned the proceedings as politically motivated, calling the sentence “not about justice, but about political retribution.”
According to Tunisia’s state news agency TAP, the court’s decision is part of a broader case involving eight individuals, who received prison sentences ranging from 18 to 36 years. The names of the other defendants were not made public.
This judgment marks the latest blow to Ennahdha, a party that once held significant influence in the post-revolution political landscape. The party has labelled the trial a “farce,” denouncing what it calls a systematic campaign by President Kais Saied to dismantle the opposition through politically charged legal actions.
Larayedh has been in detention since 2022, making him one of several senior political figures jailed or prosecuted in recent years. The crackdown has raised alarms among rights organizations, who argue that Tunisia’s hard-won democratic gains—secured after the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali—are being steadily reversed under Saied’s presidency.
Protests against Saied’s government have grown more frequent and intense. Just days before the ruling, demonstrators filled the streets of Tunis, chanting slogans reminiscent of the Arab Spring: “Saied, go away, you are a dictator.” These protests were met with counter-rallies from Saied’s supporters, who insist he is the right leader to stabilize and reform the country.
International observers and legal watchdogs have called on the Tunisian government to uphold rule of law and ensure due process for political defendants. Meanwhile, Ennahdha has vowed to continue challenging the verdict and defending what it sees as the right to peaceful political opposition.
As the political climate in Tunisia grows increasingly polarized, many fear that the nation’s democratic future hangs in the balance.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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