A Tunisian court has sentenced Sahbi Atig, a senior official in the opposition Ennahda party, to 15 years in prison on money laundering charges, his lawyer said on Friday.
Atig, a former parliamentarian and prominent critic of President Kais Saied, was detained in 2023 as part of a sweeping crackdown on political opponents following Saied’s seizure of broad powers in 2021.
“The verdict aims to eliminate political opponents and lacks any credible evidence,” Atig’s lawyer, Mokthar Jmaayi, told Reuters. “It is a continuation of the punishment of opponents by using the judiciary.”
Saied has dismissed accusations of authoritarianism, saying his measures are necessary to root out corruption and reform Tunisia’s political system. He has denied interfering in the judiciary.
The 15-year sentence is among a series of harsh rulings issued against opposition figures in recent months. In April, a Tunisian court sentenced several political leaders, businessmen, and lawyers to prison terms of up to 66 years on conspiracy charges.
Most major opposition leaders are now behind bars, including Free Constitutional Party head Abir Moussi and Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi, both vocal critics of Saied’s rule.
