In a stirring letter from prison, Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda party, has unequivocally refused to appear before a judge, asserting both his and his party’s innocence amidst a series of politically motivated charges.
On May 17, 2024, the Tunisian Court of Appeal upheld a three-year prison sentence against Rached Ghannouchi and his son-in-law, former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdel Salam, in a case known as the “lobbying case.” The court found them guilty of charges related to foreign financing, issuing a ruling that includes a substantial fine of over $1 million, allegedly the value of the funds received from abroad. Habib Tarkhani, the spokesperson for the Court of Appeal, confirmed the sentences, stating that the case involved serious accusations of foreign financing.
Additionally, the indictment team responsible for examining terrorism cases at the Court of Appeal decided to refer 12 defendants, including several Ennahda leaders, to the judiciary on terrorism-related charges. These individuals include Vice-President of the Ennahda Movement Munther Al-Wanissi, Rafik Abdel Salam, Sheherazade Okasha, Ahmed Qaloul, Tariq Bou Bahri, Reda Idris, Moaz Al-Khereiji, Maher Zaid, Muhammad Fathi Al-Ayadi, and Muhammad Al-Samiti.