Tunisia sentences prominent opposition leader to 14 years in prison

A Tunisian court on Tuesday sentenced one of the country’s most prominent opposition leaders to 14 years in prison, adding to a string of convictions that he received in other cases.

Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia's Ennahda movement, was among those sentenced as part of a sweeping case in which politicians were charged with conspiring against state security. Several other detained members of his party were sentenced to 12 years.

Ghannouchi's party rose to power after Tunisia became the first country in the region to oust a longtime dictator as part of the Arab Spring. He later served as speaker of the country's assembly and is among the opposition figures who have faced prosecution since President Kais Saied took power six years ago.

His defence team denied the charges and said in a statement that the proceedings didn't meet the standards of a fair trial.

“All accusations were based on a false and contradictory testimony by a secret, anonymous witness who failed to present any evidence for his baseless and contradictory allegations, and who ultimately retracted most of them,” attorneys said in a statement.

The judge overseeing the case issued arrest warrants for several party members tried in absentia, including Ghannouchi's son and a former foreign minister.

The defendants faced charges including participating in an organisation linked to terrorist acts, inciting violence, attempting to overthrow the government, and recruiting and training individuals for terrorist purposes both within Tunisia and abroad.

Ghannouchi, 86, is facing charges in several other cases and refuses to appear before courts he considers politically manipulated. He has already served multiple prison sentences totalling more than 20 years, notably for money laundering.

His lawyers denounce what they call “unjustified judicial harassment” by the authorities and are calling for the release of imprisoned Islamist leaders.