The latest public test in Tunis’s Primary Court said that President Cass Side would not have to worry about dissatisfaction with 21 of its 21 political opponents for the coming year.
On Tuesday, politicians and officials, including the opposition leader, included Ghanouchi, were sentenced to 12 to 35 years in jail.
The 86 -year -old leader of the Tunisia Islamist Annahada Party and former chairman of Parliament, Ghanouchi, refused to appear in the court, where a 14 -year sentence was given for “creating secret security mechanisms”.
Staying in his cell, where he was an aptose in April 2023, he retained his boycott of the Tunisia judiciary, which he manipulates politically. With the latest decision, his jail time now adds up to 27 years.
Ten of the ten people convicted for allegations of terrorism, violence, or attempts to overthrow the government are already in jail.
The other 11 convicted politicians have already left the country. Between the themes of former Tunisia Prime Minister Yusuf Chhed, former foreign Rafik Abdislem, Nadia Akcha, former Chief of Staff of Side and Tasnim and Maud Ganouchi, Rached Ghanuchi.
However, as he would be arrested on return, the verdict prevented him from entering the country or being politically active in Tunisia for decades.
Riyad Chabi, a Tunisian politician and advisor to Rached Ghanouchi, said, “The decisions issued in the latest ‘conspiracy case 2’ are a new wave of opponents harassment and separation and marginalized.”
“Subordination for the political instructions of the judiciary means that the thesis decisions do not reflect the domination of the law, nor do they reflect the terms of justice and fair tests,” Heer said.
In his view, the decision issued in this and other matters has a purely political background.
Therefore, Basam Khwaja, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch, considers the latest decision as part of a comprehensive pattern in which Tunisian authorities have targeted political opposition.
Khwaja said, “We have not seen all the evidence in the thesis cases, but the authorities are often using allegations of corruption or financial offenses, which clearly abuse this in such a way to go to political opponents, activists, journalists, human rights defenders.”
“It is very clear at this point that thesis tests are not appropriate,” he said, “Registration they are cleaning the area to ensure that there is no political opposition within Tunisia.”
From democratic promises to ruling rule
Became President in 2019, the increasing crack of the side against Tunisia, with his views, stood opposite Stark.
At the time, the professor of politically independent law made a majority of 72% and comprehensive public support for its promise to modernize the state, maintaining Tunisia’s democracy.
However, after two surefire years, Saied developed a taste forepower consolidation. Since then, now the 67 -year -old has destroyed most of the Democratic bodies, including the country’s judiciary.
At the end of 2024, Saied achieved a second term in one vote, which supervisors neither considered independent nor Democratic. The status of Tunisia’s rights has taken a turn for a worse. Most of the candidates were not recruited or imprisoned. The score of journalists and workers was put in jail.
In the view of Saied, however, all thesis stages are justified to end the “National Liberation’s War of National Liberation” and corruption.
A bid ‘stop opposition’
Prevention of Conflict NGO In the International Crisis Group, director of the North Africa Project, Ricardo Fabiani, suggests that Tunisia’s “structural corruption problem” is deep roots.
“Undoubtedly there are many politicians and entrepreneurs in Tunisia who have broken and bribed the rules, who need to bribe to achieve their goals, what thesis politics or business goals were,” Hey said, the current clampdown was not inspired by an honest urge to incite corruption.
“Using allegations of corruption, the President is trying to stop the opposition,” Fabiani said, describing corruption as “an excuse”.
Meanwhile, Saed has no pressure to older its old undemocratic course.
“Not to raise enough interior against him and his rapidly the rough powerful rule,” Fabiani said. “There is no external pressure, especially from Europe, given that the European Union and European governments are benefiting from the role of Tunisia to control the role.”
Despite this, Ghanuchi’s advisor and opposition political Riyadh Chabi tension that he is not going to give. “There are many voices in this country … we believe that our path eventually wants victory.”
Edited by: Jess Smi
