Tunisian state defends its trials before the African Court in alleged plot case
The Tunisian state has responded to accusations made before the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights concerning the alleged "plot against state security" case. In a memorandum filed on July 17, 2026, the State Litigation Department requested the rejection of all applications submitted by Khayam Turki and seven other individuals prosecuted in this case. The case involves eight figures, including Ridha Belhaj, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Ghazi Chaouachi, Abdelhamid Jelassi, and Chaima Issa. The memorandum, transmitted by the African Court registry, presents a primarily legal defense. The state disputes alleged violations of judicial independence, the right to liberty, the right to a fair trial, and freedom of expression. This response comes as the case has become one of the main judicial matters targeting the Tunisian opposition since 2023. Several opposition members, lawyers, and political figures arrested in connection with the alleged "plot" spent long months in pre-trial detention before the trial began on March 4, 2025. In April 2025, the court sentenced 37 defendants to prison terms ranging from four to 66 years. The trial has been heavily criticized by national and international human rights organizations, which denounced it as a politically motivated collective trial, citing videoconference hearings for detainees and restrictions on journalists' and observers' access to the courtroom. Amnesty International described the "plot" accusations as fallacious and considered seve