Ghannouchi sentencing marks aggressive crackdown on Tunisia's opposition: Amnesty

Amnesty International has raised concerns over the intensifying crackdown on dissidents and critics of Tunisian President Kais Saied, following a Tunisian court's decision to sentence opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi to prison under the country's anti-terrorism law.

On Tuesday, Tunisia's anti-terrorism court handed Ghannouchi, the leader of Ennahda, a one-year prison sentence and a fine for remarks he made at a funeral last year. The ruling marked a significant escalation against Tunisia's largest party, the Ennahda party.

Amnesty said that Tunisian authorities were increasingly using vaguely-worded laws as a pretext for repression, targeting dissidents and opposition figures.

"Tunisian authorities are increasingly using repressive, vaguely-worded laws as a pretext for repression and to arrest, investigate and in some cases prosecute dissidents and opposition figures. The sentencing of Rashed Ghannouchi shows a growing crackdown on human rights and opposition and a deeply worrying pattern," said Rawya Rageh, Amnesty International's acting deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"To sentence the leader of the country’s largest party based on public remarks he made a year ago – merely exercising his right to freedom of expression – is another indication of the political motivations behind these ongoing prosecutions."

The statement added that the sentencing of Ghannouchi indicates a worrying pattern of crackdown on human rights and opposition in Tunisia, with political motivations behind the prosecutions.

Ghannouchi's remarks at a funeral on 22 February 2022, praising the deceased as a courageous man who stood up against rulers and tyrants, formed the basis for his sentencing.

The anti-terrorism court applied Article 14 of Tunisia's 2015 anti-terrorism law, which allows for severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, for statements promoting religious hatred.

Ghannouchi's defence team was reportedly not informed of the hearing or impending sentencing.

Notably, Ghannouchi, 81, is also under investigation in other criminal cases, but this marks the first sentence against him since the 2011 revolution.

He was arrested on April 17 in a separate "conspiracy against the state" case.

President Saied issued decree-laws granting him extensive powers, including influence over the judiciary, and had adopted a constitution enabling the summary dismissal of judges.

He also implemented decree-laws imposing heavy prison sentences based on ambiguous terms such as "fake news" and "rumours".