A former President Moncef Marzouki has been sentenced to four years in prison after he criticised President Kais Saied and called for protests
A Tunisian court on Wednesday issued the verdict in absentia. The court found against Marzouki charges of “assaulting the external security of the state.”
Marzouki, who lives in Paris, has described Saied’s seizure of powers in July as a coup, called for protests against him and urged that a major international meeting of French-speaking countries be moved away from Tunisia.
Saied has rejected accusations that his seizure of powers, suspension of parliament and plans to change the constitution are a coup. He insists he acted to end protracted political paralysis and that a referendum will be held next year on a new constitution followed by parliamentary elections.
