Ex-Prime Minister Sentenced in Tunisia: A Case of Political Suppression?

In a notable crackdown on dissent, Tunisia's former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh has been sentenced to 34 years in prison on terrorism charges which his supporters claim are politically motivated.

Former Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh, an influential critic of President Kais Saied, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison following accusations involving the establishment of a terrorist cell and facilitating travel for young Tunisians to join extremist fighters in Iraq and Syria. The ruling comes as part of a broader pattern of silencing political opponents, with over 40 critics of Saied recently imprisoned, including diplomats and journalists. Laarayedh, head of the Ennahda party, has vehemently denied the charges, asserting they are a ploy to undermine his political influence. Rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have decried the trial as emblematic of Saied's authoritarian regime, which has steadily stripped away Tunisia's democratic advancements established after the Arab Spring in 2011. Saied remains defiant, dismissing criticisms as attacks from "traitors" and foreign entities, while many Tunisians feel the nation’s earlier democratic promise has been betrayed under his rule.