Tunisian opposition figures face trial for national security charges, with critics calling it politically motivated. Some are detained, others in exile. Rights groups condemn the case as judicial harassment, while President Saied denies interference. The UN urges Tunisia to end arrests of activists and politicians.

The trial of several prominent Tunisian opposition figures accused of national security offenses began on Tuesday, with rights groups condemning the case as politically motivated. Among the approximately 40 high-profile defendants are former diplomats, politicians, lawyers, and media figures, many of whom have been outspoken critics of President Kais Saied. Some of the accused, who are already in detention, were not allowed to attend the trial in person and instead followed the proceedings remotely, according to an AFP journalist. Their lawyers and rights groups criticized this restriction, arguing that it was unjust and demanding their right to appear before a judge.

Inside the courtroom, relatives of the accused chanted "Freedom" and accused the judiciary of acting under government orders. Some of the defendants have been detained since February 2023 after Saied labeled them "terrorists." Saied, who was elected in 2019 following Tunisia's emergence as the only democracy from the Arab Spring, orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021. Since then, rights groups have voiced concerns about the erosion of freedoms in the country.

The charges against the defendants include "plotting against state security" and "belonging to a terrorist group," offenses that could lead to heavy sentences or even capital punishment, according to lawyers. The case involves key political figures such as law expert and politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek, Ennahdha leader Abdelhamid Jelassi, and Issam Chebbi, founder of the opposition National Salvation Front coalition. Other accused individuals include activists Khayam Turki and Chaima Issa, businessman Kamel Eltaief, and Bochra Belhaj Hmida, a former lawmaker and human rights activist now residing in France. While some of the accused remain free pending trial, others have fled abroad, according to the defense committee.

Several defendants are also suspected of having contacted foreign parties and diplomats as part of the alleged conspiracy. In a letter from prison, Ben Mbarek described the trial as "judicial harassment" aimed at "the methodical elimination of critical voices," insisting that the accusations were baseless. Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, head of the FSN and himself named in the case, denounced the trial as "unjust," asserting that the accused were "figures in Tunisia known for their pacifism and respect for the law." Contrary to his brother Issam, he remains free while awaiting the trial’s verdict.

Lawyer Samir Dilou argued that the real conspiracy in the high-profile case was that of "the government against the opposition." French lawyer Christian Charriere-Bournazel, who is defending some of the accused, described the case as "surprising" and stated that "there is no evidence that justifies a plot against state security." The defense committee also told AFP that the charges were "based on false testimony."

On Sunday, during a visit to the streets of the capital Tunis, Saied was approached by a woman who asked him to intervene for her imprisoned sons—unrelated to the trial. He responded that he "never intervenes" in judicial matters. "Let this be clear to everyone," he was heard saying in a video posted on the presidency’s official Facebook page.

Other critics of Saied have been detained and charged in different cases, including under a law to combat "false news." In early February, the leader of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, Rached Ghannouchi, 83, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for plotting against state security, though in a separate case. Last month, the United Nations urged Tunisian authorities to bring "an end to the pattern of arrests, arbitrary detentions, and imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists, and politicians." Tunisia’s foreign ministry dismissed the UN statement with "astonishment" and denounced its "inaccuracies," asserting that "Tunisia can give lessons to those who think they are in a position to make statements."