Islamist leader Rachid Ghannouchi sentenced in Tunisia for glorifying terrorism

Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of the Islamist Ennahda party, was sentenced to one year in prison by the Tunisian Court of First Instance after being accused of glorifying terrorism for various statements made against national bodies, including the police, and also after being accused of inciting a civil war between Tunisians.

Ghannouchi will also face a fine of 1,000 dinars, about 3,000 euros, a figure to be taken into account because the average Tunisian salary is estimated at about 250 euros per month.

Rachid Ghannouchi, 81, is the main opponent of President Kaïs Saïed, Tunisia’s current strongman after he took power in the summer of 2021. The Ennahda leader was arrested on 17 April and placed under arrest following statements that Tunisia would be threatened by a “civil war” if left-wing or political Islamist parties such as Ennahda were eliminated.

But his current one-year prison sentence is linked to another case in which he was tried in February by the judicial anti-terrorism division before being released, following a complaint by the police union. At the time, he refused to appear in court, according to his lawyer, rejecting what he called a trumped-up political trial.

The leader of the Islamist Ennahda party, linked by various analysts to the radical Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is considered terrorist by several countries including Egypt, was arrested on 17 April following statements that Tunisia would be threatened by a “civil war” if leftist or political Islamist parties such as Ennahda were eliminated. Ghannouchi is awaiting further trials linked to terrorism-related charges as well. His court appearance followed a complaint by the police union accusing him of inciting Tunisians to kill each other, for statements made in early 2022, during the funeral of a leader of the Ennahda political formation. At the time, he said that the deceased comrade “did not fear leaders or tyrants”. Rachid Ghannouchi had so far been in custody for three weeks and had decided to refuse to appear before the judiciary, rejecting what he said were “fabricated political trials”.

The opposition leader had also been tried in November 2022 by a judge of the anti-terrorism judicial division in a case related to allegedly sending jihadists to Syria and Iraq. In addition, Ghannouchi has also been singled out in the past by various media reports for alleged corruption.

Along with Ghannouchi, Tunisian police and security forces also arrested other senior Ennahda party officials such as Belgacem Hassen, Mohamed Cheniba and Mohamed Gumani for an alleged plot to endanger state security. The judicial authorities also closed Ennahda offices in the country and banned political meetings of its members.

Source » atalayar