Tunisia's Top Court Rejects Appeals in Opposition Conspiracy Case

Tunisia's Court of Cassation has rejected appeals from dozens of prominent opposition figures, lawyers, and human rights defenders, upholding prison sentences of up to 45 years in a high-profile state security case. The ruling, confirmed by judicial sources and reported by the state news agency TAP, affirms a lower appeals court verdict from last year.

The case has intensified international concern over judicial independence and political freedoms in Tunisia. It is part of a broader crackdown that has seen activists, journalists, and lawyers arrested since President Kais Saied consolidated power in July 2021 by suspending parliament and ruling by decree.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Faiza Rahem, wife of detained activist Issam Chebbi, said the families would shift their fight to the political arena. "After four years of harassment and persecution, we will continue defending the detainees. We will not tire or give up," she said, adding that repression had strengthened their resolve.

The defendants faced charges including conspiracy against state security, forming or joining a terrorist organization, and attempting to change the form of the state. They have denied all allegations, and their lawyers have repeatedly challenged the proceedings.

President Saied has defended the prosecutions as necessary for national security, describing some opponents as "traitors" and "terrorists." He has rejected accusations of suppressing dissent, framing the measures as essential to combat corruption and foreign threats.

Among those sentenced are prominent figures Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, Chaima Issa, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Ghazi Chaouachi, Ayachi Hammami, Khayam Turki, and Abdelhamid Jelassi. Several had spent years in pretrial detention, while others were arrested after the appeals court verdict to serve their sentences.

Defense lawyers criticized the timing of Thursday's hearing, noting they were notified only three days in advance, leaving insufficient time to prepare. Amnesty International had urged the court to overturn the convictions, calling the case politically motivated and marred by due process violations. The rights group also reported deteriorating health among prisoners, worsened by heat waves in poorly ventilated cells.