Tunisia’s top court upholds conviction of opposition figures, activists

Critics claim Tunisia’s judiciary acts under political pressure, as opposition leaders face lengthy prison terms.

Tunisians hold a photo of President Kais Saied during a protest against his rule and worsening living conditions, under the banner "Enough of the absurdity, enough of the failure, enough of the injustice," in Tunis, Tunisia, on 20 August 2026 [Mohamed Messara/EPA]

Tunisia’s Court of Cassation has rejected in a mass trial the final appeal of dozens of opposition figures, upholding prison sentences of up to 45 years for figures accused of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied .

The ruling on Thursday closes out three years of legal proceedings against 40 people, including opposition party leaders, lawyers, businessmen and human rights defenders. Half of those had fled the country and were sentenced in absentia.

list 1 of 3 Tunisia swelters as power cuts disrupt water supplies

list 2 of 3 Five years after Saied’s power grab, Tunisia’s old grievances resurface

list 3 of 3 Tunisia protests: Water, power cuts and rising anger

Among those sentenced were National Salvation Front leader Najib Chebbi – sentenced to 12 years – and opposition figures Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek and Ridha Belhaj – each sentenced to 20 years. Politician Noureddine Bhiri was sentenced to 10 years.

“The ruling confirms that the judiciary is not independent,” said Haifa Chebbi, a lawyer and Najib’s daughter, who said her father and other defendants were “silenced” through a case designed to imprison opposition figures. “Opponents entered prison by political decision and will leave when Saied falls.”

Lawyers claimed they were notified of Thursday’s hearing on Monday, leaving too little time to prepare a defence.

Dalila Msaddek, whose brother Jawhar Ben Mbarek was among those convicted, wrote on Facebook that “the legal battle is now over … what begins is a purely political battle ”.

The case is widely seen as emblematic of Tunisia’s democratic backsliding since the election of Saied in 2019, who has ruled largely by decree, dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges.

Saied’s government has rejected accusations of political persecution.

Tunisia’s justice minister has said the defendants sought to destabilise the country, and Saied himself described the accused as “traitors and terrorists” following their arrests in 2023, warning that judges who acquitted them would be treated as accomplices.

批评人士称，突尼斯司法部门在政治压力下行事，反对派领导人面临长期监禁。

2026年8月20日，在突尼斯首都突尼斯，突尼斯民众举着总统凯斯·赛义德的照片，抗议他的统治和日益恶化的生活条件，横幅上写着“够了，荒谬够了，失败够了，不公正够了”。[Mohamed Messara/EPA]

突尼斯最高法院在一次集体审判中驳回了数十名反对派人士的最终上诉，维持了对他们的判决，这些反对派人士被控密谋推翻总统凯斯·赛义德，最高可判处 45 年监禁。

周四的裁决结束了对包括反对党领导人、律师、商人和人权捍卫者在内的40人的长达三年的法律诉讼。其中一半人已逃离该国，并被缺席判刑。

列表 1/3：突尼斯酷暑难耐，停电导致供水中断

列表 2/3：赛义德夺权五年后，突尼斯旧怨再起。

突尼斯三起抗议活动中的第三起：缺水、断电和日益高涨的愤怒

被判刑者包括民族救国阵线领导人纳吉布·切比（Najib Chebbi），被判处12年监禁；反对派人士加齐·查瓦奇（Ghazi Chaouachi）、伊萨姆·切比（Issam Chebbi）、贾瓦尔·本·姆巴雷克（Jawhar Ben Mbarek）和里达·贝尔哈吉（Ridha Belhaj），均被判处20年监禁；政治家努尔丁·比里（Noureddine Bhiri）被判处10年监禁。

“这项裁决证实了司法机构并不独立，”纳吉布的女儿、律师海法·切比说道。她表示，她的父亲和其他被告人因为一起旨在监禁反对派人士的案件而被“噤声”。“反对派人士是出于政治目的入狱的，只有赛义德下台，他们才能出狱。”

律师们声称，他们周一才接到周四开庭的通知，留给他们准备辩护的时间太少了。

达莉拉·姆萨德克 (Dalila Msaddek) 的兄弟贾瓦尔·本·姆巴雷克 (Jawhar Ben Mbarek) 是被定罪者之一，她在 Facebook 上写道：“法律斗争现在已经结束了……接下来是一场纯粹的政治斗争”。

该案被广泛视为突尼斯自 2019 年赛义德当选以来民主倒退的象征。赛义德主要依靠法令进行统治，解散了独立的最高司法委员会，并解雇了数十名法官。

赛义德政府否认了有关政治迫害的指控。

突尼斯司法部长表示，被告试图破坏国家稳定。赛义德本人在2023年逮捕被告后，称他们为“叛徒和恐怖分子”，并警告说，判他们无罪的法官将被视为同谋。