A Tunisian criminal court has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison for allegedly facilitating the travel of jihadist fighters to Iraq and Syria. The verdict, announced on Friday, stems from accusations that Laarayedh, also the former leader of the Ennahdha party, supported the formation of a terrorist network and assisted Tunisians in joining militant groups abroad.
Laarayedh, who served briefly after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, was arrested in December 2022. He has consistently denied the charges, calling the case politically driven. In a letter submitted last month to the Tunis prosecutor’s office, he wrote, “I am not a criminal… I am a victim in this case.” His legal team echoed claims of political persecution.
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The court also sentenced former security officials Fathi Al-Baldi and Abdul Karim Al-Abidi to 26 years each. According to local media, sentences handed to other defendants in the case ranged from 18 to 36 years.
Observers see the ruling as part of a growing crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied. Human rights groups have repeatedly flagged concerns over the prosecution of opposition figures under Saied’s administration.
