A Tunisian court on Saturday issued sentences in the so-called “Conspiracy Case” against 40 opposition activists under the country’s counter terrorism laws and criminal code. The individuals, who were charged with “conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state” through formation of and participation in a terrorist group, received sentences ranging from 13 to 66 years. The official state media outlet Tunis Afrique Presse was informed by the Attorney General that some of the defendants were in custody, while “others [remained] on the run.”
From February 11, 2023, Tunisian authorities made numerous arrests, including the political activist Mohamed Khayyam Al-Turki, businessman Kamal Bin Youssef, former leader of the democratic party Ennahda Movement Abdelhamid Jelassi, CEO and Director of Tunisia’s opposition broadcaster Mosaique FM Noureddine Boutar, leaders of the “Citizens Against the Coup” initiative, and Tunisian diplomat Khayam Turki.
Tunisian President Kais Saied met with Tunisian Justice Minister Layla Javal a day before, stating: “It is unacceptable for someone to remain outside the circle of accountability when there is a file that screams their guilt even before the courts issue a verdict. The evidence is clear—it is not just circumstantial.”
According to leaked documents, Bin Youssef was accused in subsequent witness hearings of planning a ‘coup against the regime’ and the removal of the Tunisian president, based on ‘meetings and communication with foreign diplomats’.
The Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of First Instance, from March 4, 2025, held three remote hearings to consider the case. The decision to hold the hearings remotely was based on Article 73 of Tunisia’s counter terrorism laws. For the individuals who have not been detained, the hearings proceeded in absentia under Section 141 of the Criminal Code.
During the trial, one of the defendant’s lawyers, Ahmed Souab, harshly criticized the judicial process, stating that the trial hinged “on procedural legitimacy rather than substantive guilt.” According to Souab, “the judiciary’s handling of such trials could mark another step toward a constitutional crisis.” Furthermore, the Ennahda Movement condemned the trial as “purely political,” “aimed at the systematic exclusion of opposition voices.”
On Friday, protests erupted in front of the court in Tunis, condemning the proceedings. As the third hearing also took place remotely, Ahmed Chebbi, head of the opposition coalition Notional Salvation Front, commented during the protest that “the trial is taking place in the shadows, without access for citizens, media, or international observers.” The next day, the oppositionist and alleged conspiracy leader Bin Youssef was sentenced to 66 years in prison. NGOs such as Amnesty International characterised the proceedings as a “sham trial,” demanding the unconditional release of the detainees.
Another lawyer involved in the trial, Messauodi Abdessatar, on Friday, hinted at the possibility of an appeal to the Tunisian Court of Cassation, which would likely take more than a month.
Opposition in Tunisia surged after an alleged coup by President Kais Saied during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite mass protests, Saied was re-elected in October 2024, with the election’s legitimacy being harshly criticized. NGOs remain concerned about the government’s efforts using “arbitrary detention to suppress dissent.”
