Sahbi Atig, an opposition politician, is sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Tunisian court

A Tunisian court gave Sahbi Atig, a top official in Ennahda, the country’s biggest opposition party, 15 years in prison on Friday on charges of money laundering. This is the latest action taken against opposition leaders by President Kais Saied.

Atig was arrested in 2023. He is one of many people who opposed Saied who have been jailed since 2021, when the president began to increase his power by dissolving parliament and ruling by order, which some have called a coup.

In the past, Saied has said that everything he does is legal and is meant to stop what he calls a “corrupt elite” from abusing their power.
Atig rejected the charges against him, saying that they were made up.

Mokthar Jmaayi, Atig’s lawyer, told Reuters, “The verdict is meant to get rid of political opponents and lacks any credible evidence.”

“It’s more of the same old way of punishing opponents through the courts and taking attention away from people’s real problems,” he said.

The 15-year sentence was not as long as some that were given lately. In April, a court gave up to 66 years in jail to a group of opposition leaders, businessmen, and lawyers on charges of plotting.

In 2022, Saied got rid of the Supreme Judicial Council and fired dozens of judges, which made people worry about the freedom of the courts.

He has said that he doesn’t get involved in the courts and that his acts are meant to get rid of corrupt judges.

Most of Tunisia’s political party leaders are in jail. Two of Saied’s biggest opponents, Abir Moussi, who leads the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, who leads Ennahda, are among them.