A Tunisian court on Monday upheld the one-year prison sentence of Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi in the case known in the media as “glorification of terrorism” after he used expressions deemed as glorifying terrorism during the eulogy of a movement leader.

• Strategic Analyst: Tunisians Fear the Return of Ennahdha Movement to Power

This case dates back to February 2022, when Ghannouchi used the term “tyrant” to describe the security forces during the eulogy of Farhat Labar, a member of Ennahda’s Shura Council.

This sparked a wave of discontent among Tunisians who stated that his remarks were an incitement to hatred and a provocation against the security forces, reflecting the true ideology of the Ennahdha movement and its leaders.

• In Tunisia, Ennahdha and the postponement of the “terrorism trial”: harsher penalty

• A Tunisian analyst stated that the massive financing of the Ennahdha Movement has raised many questions in recent times

Ghannouchi, who has been in prison for over a year, faces numerous cases, including the one known in the media as “conspiracy against state security,” with his lawyers previously stating that some penalties could reach the death penalty.

The Tunisian judiciary issued three arrest warrants against Ghannouchi, and a Tunisian court last October increased his prison sentence from 12 to 15 months with a fine and administrative supervision in the “glorification of terrorism” case.

• New Maneuver: Ennahdha (Muslim Brotherhood) in Tunisia explores changing its name… Why? 

• Ghost of the Ennahdha Movement in Tunisia… “desperate shots” to tarnish the electoral commission

Last month, the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld the initial sentence against Ghannouchi and his son-in-law Rafiq Bouchlaka to three years in prison after proving that the Ennahdha movement had received foreign funding.

Ghannouchi refused to appear before investigating judges and to leave prison, describing his trial as “political” and denying all charges against him, accusing the authorities of using the judiciary to exclude the opposition from the political scene.

• Terrorism besieges the Ennahdha Movement in Tunisia… Detention warrant for the most dangerous elements of the secret apparatus 

• The Ennahdha Movement exploits Gaza events to return to the streets that rejected It

The Ennahdha leader is suspected of terrorism-related activities in the recruitment and secret apparatus files of the movement, having repeatedly denied his party’s involvement in the political assassinations that took place in the country, claiming that he was one of the main victims of these events.

Tunisian President Kais Saied has refused to succumb to all internal and external pressures exerted after Ghannouchi‘s arrest and the issuance of the first arrest warrant against him, asserting that the judges applied the law and denying the arrest of anyone for expressing their opinions.