Tunisia's top court upholds up to 45-year sentences for opposition figures

Tunisia’s highest judicial body confirmed on Thursday the prison terms handed down to a group of opposition figures, lawyers and businessmen in a high‑profile conspiracy case, with sentences ranging as high as 45 years. The rulings, which stem from a trial that began in 2022 and involved accusations of plotting against the state, were delivered by the Court of Cassation after the defendants were found guilty of charges including treason, sabotage and illicit financing. The convicted include senior members of the Ennahda party, prominent legal professionals and several entrepreneurs linked to the alleged scheme.

Human rights groups and political opponents denounced the decision, arguing that the verdict reinforces President Kais Saied’s increasingly authoritarian governance style. International observers noted the case as part of a broader pattern of legal actions targeting critics of the president since his 2021 power consolidation. The court’s affirmation of the lengthy sentences underscores the government’s hardline stance on dissent, while raising concerns about the future of judicial independence and political pluralism in Tunisia.