Ennahdha denounces political trial and calls for Rached Ghannouchi's release after twenty-year sentence
via Business News2 min read
The Ennahdha movement has strongly reacted to the judgment issued by the criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance in the "El Moussamara" case, condemning it as an "unjust and political procedure" and calling for the release of its president, Rached Ghannouchi. In a statement published on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the Islamist party denounced the verdicts as "heavy and iniquitous" after Rached Ghannouchi, Youssef Nouri, and Ahmed Mechergui were each sentenced to twenty years in prison. Other figures from the movement, including Mohamed Goumani and Belgacem Hassan, received three-year prison sentences. The case dates back to April 2023, following a discussion circle organized during Ramadan by the National Salvation Front. During this meeting, Rached Ghannouchi had warned against the risks of political exclusion and mentioned a possible scenario of "civil war" if political Islam were eliminated from the national scene. These statements led to his arrest on the night of April 17, 2023, and subsequent prosecution for "conspiracy against state security" under Article 72 of the Penal Code. In its statement, Ennahdha asserts that the judicial procedure is based on a "falsified video," claiming that its leader's remarks were taken out of context. The movement also denounced irregularities in the arrest, citing an apprehension without prior summons and deprivation of the right to legal assistance. The party further criticized the closure of its central headquarters, cons
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Abir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party PDL, released a letter on Thursday, May 8, 2026, from detention, addressing Tunisians about her judicial situation and what she perceives as a deviation affecting several state institutions. Moussi, an attorney and political opponent, claims the prison administration has so far refused to deduct the period of her pre-trial detention, which began on October 3, 2023, from her sentence. She states that the ten-year sentence in the "reception desk" case has not yet begun to be counted by the prison administration. Moussi asserts she was informed that all her convictions would conclude in 2036, despite the months already spent in pre-trial detention. She views this as a violation of Article 15 of the Penal Code, which mandates the deduction of pre-trial detention from the final sentence, unless explicitly decided otherwise by the court. The PDL leader also claims no official document, written decision, or legal basis has been provided to justify the non-inclusion of her detention since October 2023. She believes her situation transcends a simple judicial dispute and is part of a "political persecution" aimed at permanently depriving her of political and civic rights. Moussi intends to continue her fight through "institutional channels," including appeals, official correspondence, and complaints to various state institutions. She has contacted the Parliament presidency, the Provisional Superior Council of the Judiciary, and the In
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