Allies say Ghannouchi ‘unjustly’ held, as he marks 2 years in Tunisian jail

An international committee established last year to raise awareness of Rached Ghannouchi’s imprisonment claims he is being held “unjustly” and on “trumped-up charges” in honor of the second anniversary of his arrest.

The former Tunisian parliament speaker and former leader of the Ennahdha party was imprisoned and ordered by the International Committee for Solidarity with Rached Ghannouchi to release him immediately.

More than 15 cases against Ghannouchi have been brought forward, according to a statement released on Thursday, and “several unjust convictions and sentences have been sentenced.”

The committee said that the most recent of these was a 22-year prison sentence that was handed down in February on charges of plotting against state security. “He has no connection to this case,” the committee said.

Ghannouchi was given a three-year sentence earlier this year for making allegations that his party received foreign contributions.

The 83-year-old, who has been the country’s president’s main rival, was detained in April 2023 and given a one-year prison sentence on suspicion of incitement.

He has spoken out against Saied frequently and became the most well-known person to be detained as part of the president’s ongoing consolidation of power. He was elected in 2019 and has overseen a wave of legal reforms and repression that grew his rule.

The committee stated in its statement that “these unjust trials and sentences occur within the context of a widespread repressive campaign led by Kais Saied’s regime, which targets opposition voices from all backgrounds, represses organized action in all its forms, controls the media and civil society, and silences critical voices.”

Saied’s government must “exploit the judiciary as a tool for settling political scores,” it said.

An era of political prisoners

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Tunisian government to halt its crackdown on opposition and release all detainees just days prior to the committee’s statement.

In Tunisia, Ghannouchi is being tried on conspiracy charges in the wake of the trial of prominent opposition figures, according to the rights group.

HRW’s report, which was released on Wednesday, reinforced the concerns of opposition leaders over Saied’s authoritarian rule, which was established when he dissolved parliament in 2021 and became legally able to rule by decree.

Saied’s action was deemed a coup by the opposition. He has refuted these accusations, claiming instead that he is attempting to end the country’s political unrest and widespread corruption.

According to the report, Tunis had transformed arbitrary detention into a framework for repressive measures.

Bassam Khawaja, HRW’s deputy director for Middle East and North Africa, said, “Said’s government has returned the country to a time of political prisoners, robbing Tunisians of hard-won civil liberties.”