Tunisian Ennahda Leader Rached Ghannouchi Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, a Tunisian court on Tuesday handed down a life sentence to Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahda movement. The ruling pertains to allegations concerning the movement’s secret service. The special branch of the Tunis Court of First Instance, which handles terrorism-related cases, also issued several other sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. Individuals in this session were accused of terrorist offenses. Moustapha Khadhraoui, Reda El Barouni, Taher Boubhri, Kamel El Ayed, and seven others received lengthy prison terms, including life sentences. The case was initiated in 2022 when the prosecutor general and the lawyers representing Shukri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, Tunisian political activists assassinated in 2013, filed a complaint. At that time, it was announced that the Ennahda movement’s secret service was involved in these assassinations, with some of its leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, facilitating the service’s activities. The Ennahda movement has denied these accusations. Ghannouchi’s life sentence comes amid a reported deterioration of his physical condition. Political factions in Tunisia view the actions taken by President Kais Saied in 2021 against political groups as a coup against the constitution and an enhancement of individual rule.