TUNIS: The appeal trial of dozens of Tunisian public and opposition figures, jailed on charges of plotting against the state, resumed on Thursday, said an AFP journalist in the courtroom.
Nearly 40 defendants were sentenced to prison in April on charges of “conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group.”
The charges were mainly based on accusations of meeting with foreign diplomats, local media reported.
Rights groups have warned of a sharp decline in civil liberties in Tunisia since a sweeping power grab by President Kais Saied in 2021.
Among the defendants were Jawhar Ben Mbarek, co-founder of a leading opposition coalition, party leaders Issam Chebbi and Ghazi Chaouachi, and businessman Kamel Ltaief, who are all imprisoned.
