Tunisia: Ennahda party slams prison sentence against its chief

By Adel Thabeti

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – Tunisia’s Ennahda party late on Monday condemned the prison sentence given to its leader Rached Ghannouchi, calling it “unjust political” punishment.

On Monday, a court sentenced Ghannouchi, one of the main opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied, to a year in prison on terrorism-related charges, according to his lawyer Samir Dilo.

An Ennahda statement urged his immediate release, adding that all Ghannouchi's statements stand against extremism and terrorism, and that he always urged moderation and tolerance.

The National Salvation Front, the major opposition coalition in Tunisia, also slammed the verdict, adding that no opposition figure is safe from arrest and denial of their freedom.

Last month, a judge ordered Ghannouchi kept under arrest after he was detained on April 17 on accusations of plotting against state security.

The sentence comes amid a Tunisian campaign against critics of Saied, accusing them of being part of a conspiracy against state security.

Ghannouchi is among dozens of political opponents to the country's president, including former top officials and business figures, who have been arrested since February, drawing international concern.

Ghannouchi served as Tunisia's parliament speaker whose party, Ennahdha, was the largest before being dissolved by Saied in July 2021, after which he ousted the government.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar