Tunisia: trial against 40 opposition figures reported

The appeal trial of over 40 opposition figures opened in Tunisia on 27th October, but was quickly deferred due to procedural irregularities, reported Jeune Afrique via AFP. Their lawyers complained that their clients had been barred from attending and were expected to testify via video call.

The defendants stand accused of conspiracy against the state’s safety and of being part of a terrorist association. A number of them were arrested in a crackdown against opposition leaders in early 2023; they include activists, but also journalists, businessmen and lawyers from various political backgrounds.

Some of the most high-profile figures include Jawhar Ben Mbarek, a former law professor and critic of the regime; Abdelhamid Jelassi, former leader of En-Nahdha, the party of former president Rached Ghannouchi; and Kamel Guizani, the former head of intelligence services.

The accusations focus on supposed communications with foreign diplomats, aimed at undermining the regime

The defendants were originally sentenced in April to unusually long jail terms, ranging from 4 to 66 years. The UN’s Human Rights Commissioner, Volker Türk, had commented on the situation, noting that “the process was marred by violations of fair trial and due process rights, raising serious concerns about political motivations”. France has also condemned the case, expressing concern over “harsh sentences”.

The case has been widely interpreted as evidence of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian turn, as repression against any form of dissent becomes generalised. After his dramatic power grab in 2021, when he had dismissed the government and suspended the Tunisian parliament, any democratic progress obtained after the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 seemed firmly in the past. Saied has been gradually dismantling judiciary institutions protecting human rights and imposed a new constitution that grants him emergency powers.

Recent protests against chemical pollution in Gabès led to 70 arrests, with the government accusing protesters of exploiting the situation for political gain. The civil and migrant rights group ‘FTDES’ has also been banned, under dubious accusations of foreign funding.