Full Breakdown
Tunisia’s Top Court Upholds Long Prison Sentences for Opposition Figures
9/4/2026, 11:04:57 AM
Core Event
Tunisia’s Court of Cassation rejected all final appeals in a mass trial and confirmed prison terms ranging from five to 45 years for 40 individuals accused of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied. The verdict, issued on Thursday, marks the conclusion of a three-year legal process that cannot be appealed further.
Background & Context
The case stems from arrests made in 2023 of prominent politicians, lawyers and activists opposed to Saied. Since suspending parliament and assuming extraordinary powers in 2021, Saied has ruled by decree, dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges in 2022. Those actions have been described by observers as a shift toward authoritarian governance.
Data & Statistics
- Total defendants: 40 people.
- Sentences: up to 45 years; four opposition figures—Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek and Ridha Belhaj—each received 20 years.
- Najib/Nejib Chebbi (National Salvation Front leader) was sentenced to 12 years; politician Noureddine Bhiri received 10 years.
- Twenty defendants fled abroad and were sentenced in absentia.
- Remaining sentences range from 5 years to the maximum 45 years.
Official Statements & Responses
President Kais Saied asserted that the judiciary remains independent and denied any dictatorial intent. Tunisia’s justice minister claimed the defendants “sought to destabilise the country” and framed the prosecutions as lawful measures against threats to state security. Saied also described the accused as “traitors and terrorists” and warned that judges who acquitted them would be treated as accomplices.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights organizations allege that Saied has controlled the judiciary since the 2021 suspension of parliament, citing the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council and mass dismissals of judges as evidence of a politicised legal system. Defense attorneys complained that they were notified of the Thursday hearing only a few days earlier, leaving insufficient time to prepare a defence.
