Ahmed Néjib Chebbi was arrested today, Thursday, December 4, in Tunis after being sentenced to 12 years in prison in a sham trial in which he was accused of “conspiring against state security.”
Chebbi, who is 81, is one of the country’s best-known left-wing opponents and has had a long political career that led him to run for president of Tunisia in 2009, serve as a minister in the first government of national unity after the fall of Ben Ali, and become a member of the Constituent Assembly.
In recent days, Chebbi had stated in a video: “I am going to prison with a clear conscience and knowing that I have done nothing wrong.”
His arrest is not an isolated case, following the arrest of lawyer Ayachi Hammami and activist Chaïma Issa, who were convicted in the same trial.
Human rights organizations have reacted harshly. According to Sara Hashash, regional director of Amnesty International, “these detentions confirm the authorities’ appalling determination to stifle peaceful opposition.” Ahmed Benchemsi, local spokesperson for Human Rights Watch, points out that the Tunisian opposition is now either in prison or in exile.