On June 20, 2025, a Tunisian court sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to 22 years in prison in absentia on charges related to undermining state security. The verdict was delivered by the criminal chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance. Marzouki, who served as Tunisia’s president from 2011 to 2014, has been a vocal critic of the current President Kais Saied, accusing him of authoritarian rule after dissolving parliament and governing by decree.
Alongside Marzouki, his former advisor Imed Daimi and former bar association president Abderrazak Kilani were also sentenced to 22 years in absentia on similar terrorism-related charges. The accused are currently living abroad and have not appeared in court. The specific details of the charges have not been publicly disclosed.
This is the third conviction against Marzouki, following previous sentences of eight and four years in separate cases. The ruling has intensified concerns over a growing crackdown on opposition figures in Tunisia, with many political leaders imprisoned or facing legal challenges under President Saied’s administration.