Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Islamic-conservative Ennahdha movement arrested in April, was sentenced Monday to one year in prison for "glorifying terrorism," local media reported.
The main opponent of President Kais Saied, 81, was arrested on April 17 and placed under arrest following statements in which he claimed that Tunisia would be threatened with a "civil war" if left-wing parties or those from political Islam such as Ennahda were eliminated.
But his conviction on Monday is linked to another case in which he was heard in February by the anti-terrorist judicial unit before being released.
A complaint filed by a police union
His summons followed a complaint filed by a police union accusing him of inciting Tunisians to kill each other for saying in early 2022 at the funeral of an Ennahda leader that the deceased "did not fear leaders or tyrants". In addition to the one-year prison sentence, Rached Ghannouchi was fined 1,000 dinars (300 euros), according to the same source.
The opponent, bête noire of President Saied, had also been heard in November 2022 by a judge of the anti-terrorist judicial pole for a case related to the alleged sending of jihadists to Syria and Iraq. Rached Ghannouchi is the most famous opponent arrested since the coup of President Kais Saied, who took full power in July 2021.
The United States and Europe had criticized his arrest in April, but President Saied dismissed the criticism as "blatant interference" in Tunisian affairs. The day after his arrest, Tunisian authorities closed his movement's offices across the country. Since the beginning of February, the authorities have detained more than 20 opponents and personalities, including former ministers, businessmen and the boss of the country's most listened to radio station, Mosaïque FM.
An authoritarian drift of power?
President Saied, accused by the opposition of authoritarian drift, described those arrested as "terrorists", saying they were involved in a "plot against state security". After his coup, Kais Saied had the Constitution revised to establish an ultra-presidential system at the expense of Parliament.
In a report published on May 11, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that "the Tunisian authorities have intensified their offensive against opponents of President Kais Saied's 2021 coup, redoubling efforts to neutralize Ennahda, the country's largest political party."
"After demonizing Ennahda and making serious accusations without evidence, President Saied's authorities simply set out to dismantle the party," said Salsabil Chellali, HRW's Tunisia bureau director. "The authorities should immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and end restrictions on freedom of association and assembly," the NGO said in its report.
