The defence lawyers for Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Tunisian opposition Ennahda Movement, have firmly stated that he is innocent of the charges in the lobbying foreign funding case, asserting that there is no evidence to suggest he received any financial support from overseas sources.
This declaration follows the Court of Appeal in Tunis upholding Ghannouchi’s three-year prison sentence. The case revolves around allegations that certain political entities in Tunisia received foreign funding to bolster their campaigns during the 2019 election. The investigation, which commenced in July 2021, has implicated multiple parties, including Ennahda and Qalb Tounes, as well as the Aish Tounsi Association.
The defence team reiterated that Ghannouchi did not accept any foreign funding, either personally or in his capacity as a legal representative of Ennahda, and that he did not sign any advertising contracts or authorise anyone to act on his behalf in such matters. His lawyers also condemned the court’s ruling as a blatant violation of defence rights, arguing that it was rendered hastily despite the case file being incomplete.
Ghannouchi was arrested in April 2023 during a police raid at his home and faces additional charges related to “incitement and glorification of terrorism.”
Many believe that his arrest forms part of a broader campaign targeting opposition figures and activists who have resisted the measures implemented by President Kais Saied since July 2021, including the dissolution of the judiciary and the House of Representatives, the issuance of legislation by presidential decree, and the approval of a new constitution via a popular referendum. Opponents have labelled these actions a “coup” against the 2014 constitution.