TUNIS (Reuters) – Dozens of opposition supporters gathered outside a Tunis court on Friday, April 18, 2025, as the high-profile trial of over 40 political figures and other prominent individuals accused of conspiring against the state resumed.
Journalists also staged a protest against restrictions barring media access to the proceedings—measures that rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have condemned as part of a broader crackdown on dissent. The Tunisian government has rejected these accusations.
Among those on trial is Nejib Chebbi, leader of the National Salvation Front, the country’s main opposition coalition. Chebbi and other key political figures face a range of conspiracy-related charges in a case that began in March but has already been postponed twice.
More than 20 of the accused have reportedly fled the country since being charged.
“The authorities want to criminalize the opposition. I wouldn’t be surprised if heavy sentences are issued tonight,” Chebbi told reporters before entering the courthouse.
Prosecutors allege the defendants—including former government officials, businesspeople, and Kamel Guizani, the former intelligence chief—were involved in attempts to destabilize Tunisia and overthrow President Kais Saied.
Human rights groups argue the trial underscores President Saied’s tightening grip on the judiciary since he dissolved parliament in 2021 and dismantled the independent Supreme Judicial Council.
Outside the court, activists and relatives of the defendants chanted slogans such as “Free the prisoners” and “Stop the farce,” expressing anger over what they view as politically motivated prosecutions.
“This authoritarian regime has nothing to offer Tunisians except more repression,” said Hamma Hammami, leader of the opposition Workers’ Party.
Several high-profile defendants—including Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawahar Ben Mbrak, Abdelhamid Jlassi, Ridha Belhaj, and Khyam Turki—have been held in custody since their arrests in 2023.
