TUNIS: A Tunisian court has handed down jail sentences of up to 66 years to multiple defendants, including prominent opposition figures, in a mass trial criticised by rights groups.

The trial, decried by a defence lawyer as a “masquerade”, is of unprecedented scale with around 40 defendants including vocal critics of President Kais Saied.

A prosecutor cited on Saturday by local media announced sentences ranging from 13 to 66 years for the defendants, accused of “conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group” However, a list communicated by several lawyers, and “subject to official confirmation”, indicates minimum sentences of four years.

Among those sentenced were well-known opposition figures, lawyers and business people, with some already in prison for two years while others were in exile or still free.

Appeals are planned, defence lawyer Abdessatar Messaoudi said. Bassam Khawaja of Human Rights Watch posted on X: “The court did not give even a semblance of a fair trial.” The charges, he said, “appear unfounded and based on no credible evidence”.

According to the list supplied by lawyers, those accused who are abroad, and who include French intellectual Bernard Henri-Levy, received 33-year jail terms. The same penalty was handed down to feminist activist Bochra Belhaj Hmida and the former head of the presidential office, Nadia Akacha.

Issam Chebbi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek of the opposition National Salvation Front coalition, as well as lawyer Ridha Belhaj and activist Chaima Issa, were sentenced to 18 years behind bars, Messaoudi said.

Harshest penalty

Activist Khayam Turki was handed a 48-year term while businessman Kamel Eltaief received the harshest penalty — 66 years in prison, the list showed.

Turki’s cousin, Hayder Turki, said he was “very saddened” by the verdict, saying: “He doesn’t deserve this — he’s a great man, his crime was being involved in politics.”

Two former leaders of the Ennahdha party, which was Saied’s main rival, were also sentenced. Abdelhamid Jelassi and Noureddine Bhiri received 13 and 43 years respectively, according to the list.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025