Former Tunisian president gets 22 years in jail for criticizing government

A court in Tunisia has sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to 22 years in prison. The sentence was given in his absence on Friday and is the latest in a series of actions seen as targeting people who speak out against the current government.

Marzouki was Tunisia’s president from 2011 to 2014. He now lives in exile in Paris and has been openly critical of current President Kais Saied. He says Saied has taken too much power and is turning Tunisia into a dictatorship. In 2021, Saied removed the country’s parliament and began ruling by decree.

Reacting to the sentence, Marzouki said, “This sentence is worthless. Those judges and their rulings are illegitimate… Democracy will return.”

This is not the first time Marzouki has been sentenced. He received an 8-year sentence in 2023 and another 4-year sentence earlier, all for similar charges related to speaking out against the government.

Many critics believe the government is using the courts to silence political opponents. Since President Saied took over full control in 2021, dozens of political leaders, lawyers, and businesspeople have been arrested or jailed. The government says it is fighting corruption and protecting the country, but others say it is trying to shut down anyone who disagrees.

On the same day as Marzouki’s new sentence, another court gave a 15-year prison sentence to Sahbi Atig, a senior member of the Ennahda political party. He was accused of money laundering, but his lawyer said the case is politically motivated.

In April, several opposition leaders were sentenced to very long prison terms, with some getting up to 66 years.

Today, many important political figures are in jail, including Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda. Both are known for criticizing President Saied.

Many people in and outside of Tunisia are now worried that the country is moving away from democracy, with more and more opposition voices being silenced.