Former Tunisian PM Larayedh jailed for 34 years over Syria jihadist case
A Tunisian court on Friday handed down a 34-year prison sentence against former prime minister Ali Larayedh, a senior figure in the opposition Ennahda party, on charges of facilitating the departure of jihadists to Syria over the past decade, his lawyer told Reuters.
Larayedh, who served as prime minister from 2013 to 2014, is a senior figure in Ennahda, an Islamist party that has been a main opponent of President Kais Saied.
The ruling comes a week after the detention of prominent lawyer Ahmed Souab, a fierce critic of Saied, alongside other prison sentences against opposition leaders, businessmen, and media figures on charges of conspiracy.
TAP state news agency quoted a judicial official as saying that the sentences apply to eight people and are for 18 to 36 years.
Human rights groups have described last week sentences and detention of Souab as a dangerous escalation of the crackdown against opposition. The government denied accusations and said that the judiciary is independent.
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