A court in Tunisia has handed former Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri, a leading member of the opposition Ennahda Movement, a 20-year prison term over claims tied to the issuance of passports and nationality papers to foreign individuals wanted in terrorism-related investigations.
Tunisian state media reported that the allegations relate to claims that fake documents were approved while Bhiri served as justice minister in 2012.
Bhiri and his lawyers have rejected the accusations, insisting the prosecution is driven by political motives.
The former minister is already serving another 43-year jail term imposed last year in a separate case involving accusations of “conspiracy against state security,” part of a broader wave of legal actions against opposition figures in recent years.
The decision is expected to deepen concerns raised by international human rights organisations, which say President Kais Saied has intensified efforts to silence critics and opposition voices.
Since Saied suspended parliament and assumed wider powers in 2021, numerous politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have been detained or prosecuted.
Once regarded as the only democratic success to emerge from the Arab Spring, Tunisia has increasingly come under scrutiny over the weakening of judicial independence and shrinking civil freedoms as opposition figures continue to receive heavy prison sentences.