Former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki given eight years in prison
A court in Tunisia has sentenced former president Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison in absentia as part of the country’s crackdown on opponents of President Kais Saied. The judgment was delivered alongside the sentencing of prominent opposition figure Jaouhar Ben Mbarek to six months in prison.
According to court spokesperson Mohamed Zitouna, Marzouki was found guilty of violating laws against incitement and advocating for the overthrow of the government. His attorney, Samir Ben Amor, remarked that the sentence reflects a hardening political stance against dissenters.
Marzouki, who served as Tunisia's first democratically elected president from 2011 to 2014, has been a vocal critic of Saied's efforts to consolidate power and revise the country's post-Arab Spring constitution.
This marks the second time Marzouki has been sentenced for remarks made at demonstrations and on social media, following a four-year verdict in December 2021 for undermining state security.
Marzouki is among over 20 political opponents who have faced charges or imprisonment since Saied's power consolidation in 2021, which included the suspension of parliament and constitutional revisions. Critics, including Marzouki, have likened these actions to a coup, though Saied denies the accusation. His constitutional changes were ratified in a low-turnout 2021 referendum.
Ben Amor questioned the validity of Marzouki's sentence, asking whether it's democratic for someone to be prosecuted merely for expressing political opinions.
Saied has labeled dissenters like Marzouki as "traitors to the nation" and has called for investigations against them. Others targeted in the crackdown include Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi, businessman and former presidential candidate Nabil Karoui, and Free Destourian party leader Abir Moussi.
Ennahda spokesperson Imed Khemiri lamented the setbacks to the revolution's achievements under Saied's rule, citing deteriorating liberties, political restrictions, and judicial independence concerns.
Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, a vocal critic of Saied and a senior member of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition, received a six-month prison sentence for criticizing the 2022 parliamentary election. He was detained previously for allegedly conspiring against the state and for his involvement in the "Citizens against the coup d’état" campaign.
Alongside several other imprisoned political figures, Ben Mbarek initiated a hunger strike in September last year to demand their release.
Saied has branded Ben Mbarek and his peers as "terrorists" and accused them of plotting against state security.
In a separate incident, Tunisian journalist Khalifa Guesmi was sentenced to five years in prison last year for reporting on counter-terrorism arrests. Rights groups like Amnesty International have criticized such arrests, denouncing them as tools to stifle dissent and instill fear among potential political opponents.
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