Ex-Tunisian President Sentenced to 22 Years in Shocking Verdict of ‘Undermining State Security’

Tunisia’s former President Moncef Marzouki has been sentenced to 22 years in prison in absentia on charges of “undermining state security,” marking a significant escalation in the country’s ongoing political crisis. The verdict, delivered by a Tunisian court, comes as Marzouki remains in exile in France, where he has been a vocal critic of the current administration under President Kais Saied. The charges are linked to statements and actions deemed hostile to the state, though his supporters argue they are politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent.

This latest sentence adds to a series of previous convictions handed down against Marzouki in recent years. In 2021, he was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by another eight-year sentence in 2024, both also in absentia. Marzouki, who served as Tunisia’s president from 2011 to 2014 following the Arab Spring uprising, has repeatedly denounced President Saied’s consolidation of power, calling it a betrayal of Tunisia’s democratic transition. He has accused the current leadership of eroding freedoms and dismantling the gains achieved after the fall of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The accumulation of prison sentences against Marzouki highlights growing concerns over the state of democracy and judicial independence in Tunisia. Rights groups and international observers have increasingly criticized President Saied’s administration for using the judiciary to silence opposition voices. As political tensions continue to rise, Marzouki’s case is seen as emblematic of the shrinking space for political dissent in a country once hailed as a success story of the Arab Spring.