Hanane Qaddas, spokesperson for Tunisia’s Judicial Counter-Terrorism Unit, revealed the latest figures for the number of defendants in the “conspiracy against state security” case, stating that there are now 52 defendants. Charges have been directed against 40 of them, while the charges against the remaining 12 have been dismissed.
Despite media reports about six accused from the top leadership of various political parties, which were sidelined from the political scene following President Kais Saied’s July 25th decree, the number of defendants far exceeds these figures, according to observers.
In response to accusations by the defense team for the political detainees in the conspiracy case, the sources confirmed that the investigating judge issued a decision on April 12th to close the investigation in the file, days before the expiration of the 14-month pre-trial detention period ending this Friday.
Regarding the length of the procedures and the lack of court sessions for the defendants to defend themselves and refute the charges, Qaddas clarified that the public prosecution exercised its right to appeal this decision, emphasizing that the indictment detailed charges against each defendant in the investigation closing decision made by the investigating judge. In a radio statement, she mentioned that the public prosecution “respected all legal procedures within the deadlines stipulated in the Tunisian criminal law,” countering some parties’ attempts to influence public opinion. She noted that these pressures included threats against the judges handling the case and highlighted that the procedures followed were not exceptional. Qaddas also pointed out that the investigating judge decreed that precautionary decisions, including the ban on media coverage, remain in effect until the court takes charge and reviews the core of these accusations.
In February of last year, Tunisian authorities arrested several party leaders and political activists, including Jouhar Ben Mubarak, Essam Chebbi, Abdelhamid Jlassi, Khiyam Al-Turki, Ghazi Chaouachi, and Reda Belhaj, accusing them of ‘conspiring against state security.’
The accusations of conspiracy against Tunisia have garnered considerable attention, highlighting deep concerns about political repression and judicial fairness in the country. Since President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in July 2021, there has been a marked increase in the detention of political dissidents, opposition leaders, and human rights lawyers under charges of conspiracy against the state. These arrests often lack substantial evidence and are seen as politically motivated attempts to silence dissent.
