A Tunisian appeals court upheld a two-year prison sentence against Abir Moussa, the head of the opposition Free Destourian Party, on Tuesday evening. The case was initially brought against her by the Independent High Authority for Elections.
According to reports, the criminal division of the Tunis Court of Appeal affirmed the initial ruling sentencing Moussa to two years in prison. However, the defendant retains the right to appeal this latest decision.
A lower court had previously sentenced Moussa in June to two years imprisonment following a lawsuit filed by the electoral commission. The commission accused her of disseminating false information regarding the elections and bias against her party.
Moussa has been detained since October 3, 2023, on separate charges, including “spreading false news with the aim of harming public security.” Her arrest occurred as she approached the presidential palace to file an appeal against decisions made by Tunisian President Kais Saied, according to her party.
Furthermore, on December 12th, a preliminary court sentenced her to 12 years in prison on charges of “working to change the structure of the state,” local media reported.
These rulings come amidst a broader trend of Tunisian courts issuing lengthy prison sentences against political opponents on charges such as “conspiring against state security.”
Tunisian authorities maintain that the accused are being tried in criminal cases and that the judiciary is independent, with no interference from the executive branch. However, the opposition disputes these claims, accusing the authorities of using the judiciary to persecute dissenters.
Tunisia has been experiencing a political crisis since July 25, 2021, when President Kais Saied began implementing exceptional measures, including dissolving parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decree, approving a new constitution in a referendum, and holding early legislative elections.
Some Tunisian factions view these measures as a coup against the constitution and a consolidation of absolute individual rule, while others see them as a correction of the course of the 2011 revolution that ousted the former president.
