Lawyer and leading member of Tunisia’s People’s Movement, Haykel Mekki, called for a fair trial for Rached Ghannouchi. He made this statement before the verdict was issued in the case known as the “Secret Apparatus” case. Although his organisation is a party to the lawsuit and follows a Nasserist Arab nationalist ideology, he accused the leader of the Ennahda Movement of being behind the assassinations of Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid. Nevertheless, he stressed that if the condition of a fair trial was not met, “it would turn him into a victim, and future generations would pay a heavy price.” Following the judges’ disclosure of their findings, questions have emerged: Were the conditions of a fair trial truly met? And were the sentences, described by some as a form of ‘undeclared execution’, ultimately beneficial to Ghannouchi or to justice itself?
Public opinion was shocked by these verdicts, which Tunisia has never witnessed before in the history of political trials since independence in 1956. (Early this month, a Tunisian court has sentenced Ghannouchi to life in prison.)
Many opposition figures had previously been sentenced to death and executed, but never before had individuals been handed what many consider fantastical sentences reaching up to 90 years in prison, in addition to life imprisonment and post-release administrative supervision. This prompted constitutional law professor Sana Ben Achour to describe the situation as both absurd and tragic, saying that “the tricks of the law are countless and beyond what reason and conscience can comprehend.” The legal and procedural violations cited by defence lawyers in their submissions clearly indicate, in their view, that the trial did not take place under normal circumstances and was political in nature.
This is not how conflicts with political opponents should be managed. Even many of those who opposed the Ennahda Movement and disagreed with it on virtually everything commented that what happened exceeded their expectations and imagination, except for a small group that continues to defend the regime regardless of whether it is right or wrong. The demonisation campaign against Ghannouchi and his movement reached its peak, but instead of achieving its intended political objective, it produced the opposite effect. It generated widespread sympathy for him both inside Tunisia and abroad, while fuelling criticism and doubts about the authorities’ intentions and their policies regarding freedoms and human rights.
These rulings also led many people to question the existence of the alleged ‘secret apparatus’. Initially, many believed it was possible that Ennahda had established and used such an organisation for various purposes. Some went even further, arguing that even if such an apparatus existed, the case file did not indicate any connection between it and the assassinations of the two slain politicians. The case records also contained no mention of hidden weapons or evidence demonstrating an organisational link between Ennahda’s leadership and Ansar al-Sharia, the group that engaged in terrorist activities and whose members publicly admitted responsibility for the crime and its details. These confessions were documented by the judiciary, which issued final rulings on the matter.
Calls have multiplied from various quarters to put an end to the ongoing series of trials that seem to spare no one. Everyone now appears to be living under a nightmare, uncertain when it will end. This helps explain the growing tension across political and social circles. At the same time, the spread of unverified reports concerning sensitive matterssuch as the health of Tunisian President Kais Saiedhas increased, as though the country were experiencing exceptional circumstances and preparing its people for a major event.
The president is convinced that opponents of his system are behind this campaign and are attempting to portray him as disconnected from reality and unable to control state institutions. The opposition, meanwhile, argues that Tunisia is suffering from a structural crisis affecting all sectors and that the regime alone bears responsibility. They believe that “the moment of change has arrived.”
Between these two opposing narratives, Tunisians find themselves on edge, uncertain about which side deserves their trust and support.
[by SlaheddineJourchi in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed]
Compiled and Translated by Faizul Haque