Ghannouchi Continues to Hide Behind His Absence as Tunisian Judiciary Moves Forward
Tunisian Muslim Brotherhood leader Rached Ghannouchi has refused to appear before court in the case known in the media as “Conspiracy Against State Security 2.”
Since his arrest in April 2023, Ghannouchi has repeatedly declined to attend court sessions in all cases where he faces charges related to corruption and terrorism.
Observers of the Tunisian political scene believe Ghannouchi is attempting to evade justice and manipulate public opinion by hiding behind his absence, but strong evidence undermines his strategy.
Tunisian political analyst Nabil Gouari stated that Ghannouchi’s political journey began with acts of terrorism and ends with the same crimes.
He said that Ghannouchi’s attendance or absence in court does not alter the course of the legal cases he is involved in.
According to him, the crimes attributed to Ghannouchi are well documented with solid evidence, including involvement in political assassinations, financial corruption, conspiracy against national security, and incitement to violence both domestically and internationally.
The criminal chamber specialized in terrorism cases at the Tunis First Instance Court has opened hearings on the “Conspiracy Against State Security 2” case, which includes 21 defendants, among them Ghannouchi, former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, former presidential chief of staff Nadia Akacha, and Ennahdha leader Habib Ellouz.
At Tuesday’s hearing—held remotely due to terrorist threats—several key defendants appeared before the court, including former airport security chief Abdelkarim Aabidi, Ennahdha’s Habib Ellouz, former mayor of Zahra Rayan Hamzaoui, former intelligence director Mahrez Zouari, and retired officer Fathi Belhadi.
The court denied all requests for provisional release and postponed the case to July 1.
The trial began on May 6. Charges include forming a group with the intent to conspire against internal state security and inciting terrorist acts on Tunisian territory.
Tunisian authorities had previously announced they had foiled a Muslim Brotherhood plot to overthrow President Kaïs Saïed by infiltrating the presidential palace, allegedly with the help of Nadia Akacha, who served as chief of staff when Saïed first took office.
At the time, the Ministry of Interior confirmed serious threats to the life and physical safety of the president, discovered by multiple security agencies. The threats involved both internal and external actors aiming to create chaos in the country.
Wadii Jari Sentenced to Prison
Meanwhile, the Tunisian judiciary upheld the initial verdict against Wadii Jari, former president of the Tunisian Football Federation and a known associate of the Muslim Brotherhood.
On Tuesday evening, the criminal chamber of the Court of Appeal confirmed Jari’s conviction on financial corruption charges, reducing his sentence from four to three years in prison.
The First Instance Court had earlier sentenced Jari to four years and a second defendant to six years in prison.
In October 2023, Tunisian security forces arrested Jari following a lawsuit filed by former Minister of Youth and Sports Kamel Deguiche accusing him of financial misconduct.
Jari had served as head of the Tunisian Football Federation since 2012 and was re-elected in 2020 for another four-year term.
He is widely considered a close ally of the Ennahdha movement and maintained regular contact with Rached Ghannouchi. He was also part of Youssef Chahed’s 2019 presidential campaign team.
