Former Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh was sentenced on Friday to 34 years in prison by a Tunisian court on terrorism-related charges. Alongside seven others, he is accused of facilitating the departure of young Tunisians to conflict zones—particularly in Iraq and Syria—to join armed Islamist groups.
The 69-year-old politician, a key opposition figure to President Kaïs Saïed, leads the moderate Islamist party Ennahda, formerly the majority party in parliament. He has denied all allegations and denounced the trial as politically motivated.
The sentencing comes amid a sweeping political crackdown. In recent weeks, at least 40 opposition figures—including lawyers, journalists, and diplomats—have been arrested. NGOs such as Human Rights Watch have condemned the wave of repression, viewing it as a move to silence dissent, especially from Ennahda’s ranks.
Since his election in 2019, President Kaïs Saïed has steered Tunisia toward authoritarian rule. He dissolved parliament in 2021, has since governed by decree, and amended the Constitution to expand his executive powers. Saïed has dismissed criticism, branding his opponents “traitors” or accusing them of “foreign interference.”