A large-scale trial of about 40 prominent opposition figures began in Tunisia on Tuesday, lawyers, relatives and rights groups said it was politically motivated.
Diplomats, politicians, lawyers and journalists who criticized President Kaïs Saïs were defendants.
If found guilty of “violating national security” and “belonging to terrorist organizations”, they may face death penalty.
Human Rights Watch marked it as a “dripping trial” based on “accusations of abuse”, while the United Nations recently urged Tunisian authorities to end “all forms of persecution of political opponents.”
The country’s foreign ministry said it read the UN statement in a “surprise” way and criticized it as “inaccurate”, adding that “Tunisia can provide lessons to those who think they are capable of making statements”.
The trial highlights the authoritarian control of the judiciary after Saïed dissolved parliament in 2021 and ruled under the statute.
Since he was first elected six years ago, the former law professor has rewrited the Constitution to strengthen his power.
As the trial began Tuesday, defense attorneys complained that they had not received access to the full case file.
“You can end this madness and absurdity,” lawyer Abdelaziz Essid told the judge in court.
Those on trial included former Presidential Chief of Staff Nadia Akacha, former leader of the Nnahada opposition party Abdelhamid Jelassi and Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, who was criticism of the president’s 2021 power robbery in 2021.
Some defendants, including Akacha, were fled from the North African state for absent.
Among the defendants, there are people arrested and detained two years ago, whom Said tagged as a “terrorist.”
“This is one of the darkest injustices in Tunisia’s history,” said Bassam Trifi, head of the Tunisia League for Defending Human Rights.
Angry Tunisian militants have been showing outside the courtroom outside the capital Tunisia.
The banner they carried had a slogan: “Not to judge remotely, no judiciary that does not guarantee rights, freedom of political detainees.”
Other reports by Lipika Pelham
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