The Tunis First Instance Court on April 15 sentenced Rached Ghannouchi, former speaker of parliament and leader of the Islamist Ennahdha party, to life in prison and an additional 30 years on terrorism-related charges, according to Tunisia's official TAP news agency.
The verdict also applied to eleven other defendants, including an adviser to former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh, who received life sentences plus supplementary terms of up to 96 years. Thirteen other defendants were sentenced to between 10 and 48 years in prison. The court also ordered administrative supervision of all defendants for five years.
The case revolves around the so-called 'secret apparatus' of the Ennahdha party, accused of involvement in the 2013 assassinations of two leftist politicians, Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, as well as espionage and infiltration of state institutions. The investigation was launched in early 2022 following a complaint from the public prosecutor's office and lawyers representing the families of the two victims.
Ennahdha denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Last week, on April 8, Ghannouchi was rushed to the hospital due to severely deteriorating health. The opposition National Salvation Front has called for his release on health grounds.
Earlier, in April 2024, Ghannouchi and three other Ennahdha leaders were sentenced to 20 years in prison in the 'Ramadan Evening' case on charges of inciting chaos and disobedience. Tunisian authorities reject accusations that he is being held for political reasons.
