Overview

• A Tunis court delivered prison sentences ranging from 13 to 66 years to 40 individuals accused of plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied.
• More than 20 of the accused, including prominent opposition leaders, fled the country, while some of those detained since 2023 are on hunger strike.
• The trial, which began in March 2025 after two postponements, has been condemned by opposition groups and human rights organizations as politically motivated.
• President Saied has faced widespread criticism for consolidating power since dissolving parliament in 2021 and assuming judicial control in 2022.
• Authorities claim the defendants, including former intelligence chief Kamel Guizani, sought to destabilize the state, but critics argue the charges are baseless and part of a broader crackdown on dissent.