Tunisia Sentences Ex-President Marzouki to 22 Years in Absentia

A Tunisian court has sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to 22 years in prison in absentia on charges of undermining state security and terrorism-related offenses.

The ruling, which takes immediate effect, marks the third conviction against Marzouki, who served as Tunisia’s president from 2011 to 2014. Earlier sentences included eight years in 2024 and four years in 2021 for similar charges.

Marzouki, currently in exile in Paris, has been a prominent critic of President Kais Saied, accusing him of consolidating power and establishing an authoritarian regime. Saied has ruled by decree since 2021 after suspending parliament citing political deadlock and economic decline as justification for his actions.

The latest verdict was delivered in Marzouki’s absence and is seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent. Marzouki described the ruling as politically motivated and invalid.

Human rights organizations and international observers have expressed alarm over the erosion of democratic institutions in Tunisia.

As a human rights activist and leader of the Congress for the Republic party, Marzouki played a major role in Tunisia’s post-revolution political landscape. His current exile and repeated convictions underscore the deepening political divide in the country.