Tunisia’s top court upholds prison terms of up to 45 years in ‘conspiracy’ case

Tunisia’s Court of Cassation on Thursday rejected all appeals against sentences handed down in the “Conspiracy against State Security 1” case, making prison terms of up to 45 years final.

Lawyer Mounia Bouali, a member of the defence team, told Anadolu that the court had “rejected the appeals”, upholding the sentences issued by the Court of Appeal last November.

Bouali said the defendants who are in prison would remain in custody and continue to serve the sentences imposed by the appeals court.

Meanwhile, the Tunisian news agency quoted a judicial source as saying the Court of Cassation had considered 46 appeals on Thursday, rejecting 44 on their merits and two on procedural grounds.

On 28 November 2025, the specialised criminal chamber for terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of Appeal handed down sentences against the defendants in the case.

The prison terms ranged from five to 45 years, with immediate enforcement. The court also ordered the confiscation of property belonging to several defendants and placed them under administrative surveillance.

Among the most prominent defendants sentenced were Ennahda Movement leader Noureddine Bhiri, who received 25 years in prison, and former head of the presidential office Ridha Belhaj, who was sentenced to 20 years.

The sentences also included 20-year prison terms for Republican Party Secretary-General Issam Chebbi and former minister Ghazi Chawachi.