Tunisian Court Sentences Ennahda Leader Rached Ghannouchi to Life in Secret Apparatus Case

A Tunisian court sentenced Ennahda movement leader Rached Ghannouchi to life in prison in a case linked to the movement’s alleged secret apparatus, issuing verdicts in a trial that involved 35 defendants.

“A Tunisian court, on Tuesday, handed down a life sentence to the leader of the Ennahda Movement and former Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi (84), in addition to sentences for others in what is known as the 'Ennahda secret apparatus' case”

Al-Jazeera Net

Anadolu Ajansı said the criminal chamber that hears terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance handed down sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment, and that Ghannouchi—detained since April 2023—received life in prison plus 30 years.

Al-Jazeera Net

The same Anadolu Ajansı account said the court also sentenced Ghannouchi’s deputy Ali Larayedh to a 42-year prison sentence and former security official Mustafa Khedher to life imprisonment plus 96 years.

Anadolu Ajansı added that the court ordered all defendants to remain under administrative supervision for five years after serving their sentences.

The case was opened in early 2022 following a complaint filed by the public prosecutor and the defense team representing slain politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, who were killed in 2013.

Ennahdha and its defense team rejected the verdicts, with Arab21 quoting Zaynab Brahmi, head of the party’s Legal Office, saying: "The case is politically manufactured, and the number of years has no bearing on our full conviction of Rashid Ghannouchi’s and the other defendants’ innocence."

Arab21 also reported that Mokhtar Jamaai, a member of the defense team, said the judgments were "shocking and part of the political score-settling."

Anadolu Ajansı

Arab21 described the court’s findings as including forming and joining a “terrorist” organization and placing skills and expertise at the disposal of a terrorist organization under Tunisia’s counterterrorism law.

In the same account, Arab21 said Ghannouchi’s total sentences amounted to 106 years, in addition to the life sentence, while his deputy Ali Larayedh received 42 years.

Arab21 further stated that the defense asked the court to delay the case to allow for an inspection of a broadcast aired on 1/6/2026 in which the General Director of National Security presented data rather than analyses proving there is no secret apparatus.

Beyond Ghannouchi’s life sentence, the court’s rulings in the “secret apparatus” case included life imprisonment plus 96 years for Mustapha Khadhar and life imprisonment plus 76 years for Ridha al-Barouni, Taher Bouhbri, Kamal Al-Aifi and seven other defendants, according to قناة ومنصة المشهد.

“Ennahdha, the Islamist movement, reacted on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to the verdicts handed down by the Tunis Court of First Instance's specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases in the case known as the secret apparatus”

Business News

The same قناة ومنصة المشهد account said the court also sentenced Fathi Al-Beldi to life imprisonment plus 50 years, Abdelaziz Daghsani to life imprisonment plus 37 years, Kamal Al-Badawi to life imprisonment plus 32 years, and Samir Hannashi to life imprisonment plus 30 years.

قناة ومنصة المشهد reported that the court ordered administrative supervision for each defendant for a period of five years after the sentences.

In parallel, Al-Jazeera Net said the court ordered all defendants to be under administrative surveillance for five years and listed additional terms including قيس بكار to 48 years, بلحسن النقاش to 46 years, علي العريض to 42 years, and علي الفرشيشي to 34 years.

Al-Jazeera Net also reported that the Ennahda Movement announced that the health of its leader راشد الغنوشي had deteriorated in prison and that he was transferred to hospital, calling for his release and the annulment of rulings against him totaling tens of years.