TUNIS — National Salvation Front leader Najib Chebbi was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Opposition figures Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek, and Ridha Belhaj were each sentenced to 20 years in prison. Politician Noureddine Bhiri was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The charges against the defendants included conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state, forming or joining a terrorist organization, and offenses related to attempts to change the form of the state.

The defendants have denied the allegations. Lawyers representing the defendants stated they were notified of the hearing only three days in advance, arguing the short notice left them insufficient time to prepare their defense. Several defendants had spent years in pretrial detention, while others had been released on bail during the proceedings and were later arrested to serve their sentences after the appeals court verdict.

Amnesty International called on the Court of Cassation to overturn the convictions, describing the case as politically motivated and stating the trial was marred by due process violations. The organization reported that many imprisoned defendants were experiencing deteriorating health and that successive heat waves had worsened conditions inside poorly ventilated prison cells. Haifa Chebbi, a lawyer, stated in August that her father, 82-year-old Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, had shortness of breath and severe fatigue and that prison officials were monitoring his condition.

President Kais Saied has defended the prosecutions as necessary to protect national security and combat corruption. He has described some of his opponents as 'traitors' and 'terrorists' and accused those detained in the case of seeking to destabilize the country. Saied consolidated power in July 2021 by suspending parliament, sacking the government, and beginning to rule by decree.

Why It Matters

The Court of Cassation ruling represents the final judicial avenue for the defendants, closing a legal process that Amnesty International characterized as politically motivated. The upheld sentences affect a broad cross-section of Tunisia's political opposition, including party leaders and human rights defenders, effectively removing them from public life for extended periods. The decision reinforces the legal framework established after President Kais Saied consolidated power in 2021, marking a development in the country's political trajectory.

Conditions within the prison system have become a point of concern, with reports of deteriorating health among inmates exacerbated by environmental factors such as heat waves. The case shows the ongoing tension between the state's security apparatus and civil society actors, with defense lawyers vowing to continue their efforts despite what they describe as systemic harassment. The gathering of supporters outside the courthouse indicates sustained public interest and division regarding the prosecutions.

Timeline

In July 2021, President Kais Saied consolidated power by suspending parliament, sacking the government, and beginning to rule by decree. Haifa Chebbi stated in August that her father, 82-year-old Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, had shortness of breath and severe fatigue and that prison officials were monitoring his condition.

Tunisia's Court of Cassation rejected the final appeals of dozens of opposition figures, lawyers, and human rights activists accused of conspiring against state security on September 4, 2026. The court upheld prison sentences of up to 45 years that were handed down by an appeals court in the previous year on the same date. A crowd gathered outside the courthouse to voice support for the defendants on September 4, 2026.

On September 5, 2026, Faiza Rahem said, "After four years of harassment and persecution, we will continue defending the detainees. We will not tire or give up." Also on September 5, 2026, she said, "Our numbers have grown as authoritarianism has become more brutal, and our voices grow louder every time they try to silence us."

What's New

Additional details emerged regarding the scope of the case and public reaction. The case involved 40 defendants, including opposition party leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and human rights defenders. Half of the defendants had fled the country and were sentenced in absentia. A crowd gathered outside the courthouse to voice support for the defendants.