Tunisian Ex-Prime Minister Laarayedh Gets 34 Years for Jihadist Links

A Tunisian criminal court sentenced the former prime minister and leader of the Ennahdha party, Ali Laarayedh, to 34 years in prison on Friday, mainly for supposedly facilitating the travel of jihadist fighters to Iraq and Syria. Laarayedh was a key player in Tunisia's post-Arab Spring governing body who was arrested in December 2022, as part of the government's purge of political opposition to the regime, and who was accused of forming a terrorist organization, and materially facilitating Tunisians from joining extremist networks abroad. Two former security officials sentenced in the case, former officer Fathi Al-Baldi and his subordinate Abdul Karim Al-Abidi, similarly received sentences of 26 years and there were eight other defendants whose sentences ranged from 18-36 years in prison.

Laarayedh, 69, denied all charges, calling himself a "victim" of political persecution in a letter submitted to prosecutors before the verdict. His lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja, called Laarayedh's trial "politically motivated," claiming it was a politically motivated target on Laarayedh for opposing President Kais Saied’s government. Laarayedh was as prime minister for a brief time after the 2011 revolution and had been a vocal opponent of Saied’s consolidation of power from 2021.

This case follows a trend of legal action against Saied’s critics. In recent months, around 40 defendants in unrelated cases have received lengthy prison sentences, drawing increasing concern from human rights organizations. Critics contend the prosecutions are part of Saied's strategy to stifle opposition. The political opposition that Saied is particularly eradicating is the Ennahdha party which used to be a significant political force in Tunisia prior to Saied setting in motion the changes to the Constitution and a refocusing of the political and legal situation in the country.