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Tunisia's Ennahda Leader Gets Life Plus 30 Years

Tunisia's Ennahda Leader Gets Life Plus 30 Years

Above: The head of Tunisia's Islamist movement Ennahdha, Rached Ghannouchi, greets supporters upon arrival at a police station in Tunis, February 21, 2023.  Image credit: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin


A Tunisian court handed Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi a life sentence plus 30 years after convicting him on terrorism-related charges tied to an alleged secret apparatus. The case, opened following the 2013 assassinations of politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, resulted in sweeping sentences across 35 defendants. Ennahda's denials don't change the fact that a court of law found sufficient grounds to convict.

Tunisia's justice system is being weaponized to destroy political opposition, with Ghannouchi's sentences now totaling 56 years based largely on anonymous testimony and private communications with no concrete evidence of a recognizable offense. Amnesty International confirmssays the charges are unfounded, andwhile press freedom has collapsed — Tunisia now ranks 137th out of 180 countries. This isn't law enforcement; it's authoritarian consolidation dressed up in legal language.


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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1