A Tunisian court upheld the sentence against Noureddine Bhiri on Tuesday [FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images]
The Tunisian Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld a 10-year prison sentence against Noureddine Bhiri, former justice minister and leader of the Ennahda party, local media reported.
The initial ruling, issued on 18 October, sentenced Bhiri for a blog post in which he allegedly called on Tunisians to protest on the anniversary of the January revolution.
Bhiri’s defence team denies that he authored the blog post, stating it does not exist, and describes his arrest as politically motivated due to his opposition to the current regime.
Defence lawyer Monia Bouali told Arabic news site Arabi 21 that “the ruling was issued despite the defence team’s request to delay the complaint it filed against the president of the second chamber, alleging fraud.”
Bhiri faces additional accusations related to a “conspiracy” case against state security, for which he was sentenced to 43 years on charges including forming a terrorist group, conspiring against state security, and committing indecent acts against the head of state.
In December, a second warrant was issued for Bhiri’s imprisonment, linked to alleged passport forgery during his tenure as justice minister in 2013.
These developments follow calls from Amnesty International, which in May last year urged Tunisian authorities to release Bhiri immediately and drop all charges, condemning them as “politically motivated.”
In November, Amnesty reiterated: “Noureddine Bhiri, who has spent 18 months in arbitrary detention at Mornaguia prison, is being further punished solely for his peaceful political opposition. Tunisian authorities must immediately release him and overturn his conviction and sentence, as his imprisonment is based solely on the peaceful exercise of his human rights.”
Hunger strike and health concerns
In protest against the charges and sentence, Bhiri has undertaken several hunger strikes in prison, one lasting 20 days and severely affecting his health.
His defence team has raised concerns about alleged torture, claiming he was assaulted and suffered fractures. They also worry about his health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, for which he requires regular medication.
The defence insists that Bhiri was denied a fair trial, noting interruptions during his court appearances and restrictions preventing his lawyers from fully presenting their arguments.
Bhiri served as vice-president of Ennahda, Tunisia’s main political party that held a parliamentary majority before President Kais Saied suspended it in July 2021 under emergency powers.
Rights groups report that Ennahda members have faced targeting and obstacles to holding meetings in their offices.
