A Tunisian court has sentenced Abir Moussi, the leader of the Free Destourian Party, to 12 years in prison. The ruling, handed down by the criminal division of the Tunis Court of First Instance on Friday, relates to what has been dubbed the “Presidential Office Records” case.
Moussi, a prominent critic of both President Kais Saied and the Ennahda Movement, has been incarcerated since June 2023. Her arrest stemmed from a protest she staged outside the presidential palace in Carthage, where she intended to submit an objection concerning the electoral law.
She was initially charged with “attempting to change the structure of the state, inciting residents to attack each other with weapons, and causing chaos in Tunisian territory.” This case is only one of several legal challenges Moussi is currently facing.
In June, another Tunisian court sentenced her to two years in prison for criticizing the Independent High Authority for Elections. Furthermore, she has faced serious accusations, including “deliberate assault aimed at changing the structure of the state,” based on suspicions that she sought to re-establish a system akin to that of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown in the 2011 revolution.
The Free Destourian Party, led by Moussi, is a significant opposition force in Tunisia. Moussi has been a vocal opponent of President Saied and the Islamist-leaning Ennahda Movement.
The Tunisian authorities are currently detaining numerous political opponents, with the opposition accusing President Saied’s regime of exploiting the judiciary to settle scores with political rivals and dismantle the gains of the “Jasmine Revolution,” effectively steering the country back towards an era of authoritarianism.
In related news, Tunisian protesters staged a solidarity demonstration in front of the Manouba prison in Tunis, protesting the detention of Chaima Issa, a leading figure in the Salvation Front and a political activist. Issa is serving a 20-year sentence in connection with what is known as the “conspiracy against state security” case. Demonstrators called for her to end her hunger strike, which she began on November 29th, and demanded that Tunisian authorities release Issa and all political prisoners in the country.
