Global calls are intensifying for the release of Tunisian opposition leader and former parliament speaker, Rached Ghannouchi, who has been imprisoned for over two years. His daughter, Yusra Ghannouchi, asserts that his detention is the result of a political decision following a 2021 coup that dismantled the country’s democratic institutions.
The situation highlights a severe crackdown on dissent, with advocates claiming Ghannouchi’s imprisonment is a clear case of political persecution.
Rached Ghannouchi, 84, is a prominent Tunisian politician and co-founder of the Ennahda Party. He served as the Speaker of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People from 2019 until President Kais Saied suspended parliament in July 2021. Following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution, which he returned from a 22-year exile to participate in, Ghannouchi became a key figure in the country’s democratic transition, earning international accolades, including the Chatham House Prize in 2012.
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“Sham trials” and lack of due process
In a recent interview, Yusra Ghannouchi detailed the legal battle her father faces, stating he has received four sentences totalling 40 years in what she described as “completely unfair trials that lack the minimum respect for legal procedures or the independence of the judiciary.”
She explained that since the 2021 coup, President Saied has consolidated power, eliminating the separation of powers and judicial independence. “Anyone who raises their voice to oppose dictatorship can be thrown into prison,” she said.
The most recent case, dubbed the “Conspiracy 2 case,” saw her father sentenced for alleged conspiracy against state security. According to his daughter, these cases are “concocted and fabricated with no evidence at all,” often based on anonymous informants.
Yousha Tayob, an attorney with the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA), echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as “typical dictatorship behaviour,” which includes “unlawful detention, torture, [and] disappearances.” Tayob added, “I have no doubt that Rached Ghannouchi sought that betterment for his people.”
The family and supporters maintain that his imprisonment is politically motivated. “He knows his imprisonment was a political decision and which has nothing to do with any law or any evidence,” his daughter stated, noting that he no longer attends the court proceedings in protest.
The family has escalated the matter by filing a case with the African Court on Human and People’s Rights. While the court has already ordered provisional measures — such as ensuring Ghannouchi has adequate access to lawyers and case files — Tunisia has since withdrawn from the protocol allowing citizens to bring cases against the state. However, this withdrawal does not affect the current case, and a ruling on his release is still anticipated.
Despite the legal challenges and the grim reality of imprisonment, his daughter remains resolute. “We cannot accept injustice… We must do all we can. And even if these, you know, court rulings are just symbolic, still, at least they demonstrate the nature of those we stand against.”
Image: Tunisian Islamist Ennahdha party leader Rached Ghannouchi [AFP/FETHI BELAID]
