MWE Correspondent
A Tunisian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on multiple terrorism-related charges, marking the latest in a series of high-profile convictions targeting critics of President Kais Saied.
Laarayedh, 69, is a prominent opposition figure and senior leader of the Ennahda party, the largest party in Tunisia’s now-suspended parliament, known for its Islamist ideology.
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He is accused, along with seven others, of establishing a terrorist organization and facilitating the travel of Tunisian youth to join Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria.
The former prime minister has denied all charges, calling the case politically motivated. In a letter to the court’s prosecutor last month, he insisted, “I am not a criminal… I am a victim in this case,” according to AFP.
Human rights groups and political observers have condemned the ruling, describing it as part of an ongoing crackdown on opposition voices under President Saied’s rule. Many have labeled the charges as fabricated and say the judiciary is being used as a tool to silence dissent.
