Tunisian court jails nine Ennahda leaders on state security charges

The Tunisian Ennahda Movement announced on Monday that the Criminal Chamber at the Tunis Court of First Instance has sentenced nine of its leaders in the northern governorate of Béja to prison terms ranging from two to twelve years on charges of “conspiring against state security.”

In a statement published on its Facebook page, the movement said the verdicts were issued in the case known locally as the “Béja case,” describing the proceedings as a “remote trial” that denied the defendants their right to a fair hearing.

Ennahda stated that the case was based on a “false accusation” made by an unidentified individual.

“Despite the defence presenting evidence proving the innocence of all the defendants, the court insisted on issuing convictions,” the movement said, adding that the trial was “purely political,” with questions directed at the defendants focusing solely on their political affiliation rather than any alleged criminal act.

The movement condemned what it described as “unjust sentences that violate the rights of activists and their families,” and renewed its call for the immediate release of those detained.

In March 2023, Ennahda had denounced the arrest of its regional secretary-general in Béja, Mohamed Saleh Bouallagui, along with several members of the movement and a trade union representative. It said at the time that the arrests were part of “a systematic campaign aimed at intimidation and obstructing the activities of the opposition Salvation Front in Béja and other regions.”

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