(Beirut) – A Tunis Appeal Court on November 27, 2025, sentenced 34 defendants in the politically motivated “Conspiracy Case” to between 5 and 45 years in prison, according to defense lawyers, after three appeal sessions without the presence of the main defendants and fair trial guarantees. Three people were acquitted, including a defendant who has been arbitrarily detained since February 2023.
The following quote can be attributed to Ahmed Benchemsi, Middle East and North Africa communications director at Human Rights Watch:
“These harsh prison sentences stem from a gross distortion of the justice system and are only meant to silence dissent. Tunisia under Kais Saied is back to the darkest years of the Ben Ali era. The appeal process was rushed, the defendants were denied their most basic rights, starting with the right to be present in the courtroom during their own trial. The authorities must immediately overturn these unjust convictions and release all political detainees.”
