A court in Tunisia sentenced a group of high politicians, businessmen and lawyers to long prison sentences for conspiracy and accusations of terrorism.
The defendants were sentenced to 66 years of age up to 66 years. They include leaders of the National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition, which was arrested in 2023.
Human rights groups have described the trial as an attempt to suffocate dissent. A defense lawyer said it was a “farce”.
President Kaisy Saied suspended Parliament after being elected in 2019. Last year, he won a second term by a landslide, after imprisoning dissidents and potential rivals.
In the last case, a total of 40 accused were accused of “conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group”. Most had left the country and had been tried in absentia.
People in detention include leaders of the National Salvation Front Issam Chebbi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek.
They were sentenced to 18, said a defense lawyer on Friday following the decision of the decision.
Kamel Eltaief, activist and businessman, was imprisoned for 66 years, added the lawyer.
Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister who was tried in absentia, told the AFP news agency: “It is not a judicial decision, but a political decree executed by the judges under prescription.”
Defense lawyer Ahmed Souab is cited by the Reuters news agency saying: “I have never witnessed a trial like this. It is a farce.”
Tunisia is the country where a wave of pro-democracy demonstrations in the Arab world began at the end of 2010. The long-standing man in the country, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was ousted in a few weeks.
Since then, last year’s elections have been the third presidential vote of Tunisia.
The Amnesty International rights group denounced “a worrying drop in fundamental rights” under the government of Saied, while dissatisfaction increases on its authoritarian style of governance.
Saied rejected criticism, saying that he is fighting a “corrupt elite” and “traitors”.
