A Tunisian court has sentenced Noureddine Bhiri, the former Minister of Justice and a senior figure within the Ennahda Movement, to 20 years in prison. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, marks the latest development in a high-profile case involving allegations of facilitating forged passports and citizenship documents for foreign nationals during his tenure over a decade ago. The criminal chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis primary court issued the 20-year sentence against Bhiri and former security official Fathi Al-Baladi in what is locally known as the forged passports and citizenships case. The core of the prosecution’s argument is that documents were fabricated for foreigners, including individuals allegedly linked to international terrorism, while Bhiri oversaw the Justice Ministry in 2012.
The court also handed down sentences of 30 years in absentia to several fugitives, including Moaz Kheriji, the son of Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi. Two other unnamed defendants received 11-year terms. While former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali was removed from the list of defendants, the court ordered immediate enforcement for those convicted, meaning the prison terms begin effectively even as the defense prepares for potential appeals. According to state media, the indictment alleged that Bhiri facilitated the granting of Tunisian identity to a Syrian national and his wife based on fabricated records. The prosecution argued that these documents were processed in 2012 despite being based on passports originally issued by the Tunisian embassy in Vienna between 1982 and 1984.
Bhiri and his defense team have categorically denied all charges, asserting that the paperwork in question originated decades before he took office. They have dismissed the proceedings as a politically motivated attempt to criminalize the leadership of the Ennahda party. This 20-year sentence is added to a staggering legal burden for the 65-year-old politician; in April 2025, Bhiri was sentenced to 43 years in prison in a separate case involving charges of conspiracy against state security. The sentencing occurs against a backdrop of increasing judicial pressure on the Tunisian opposition. Since February 2023, the government of President Kais Saied has detained dozens of political figures, lawyers, and activists on charges frequently ranging from money laundering and incitement to plotting against the security of the state.
While Tunisian authorities maintain that the judiciary operates with full independence and that all trials are conducted in accordance with the law, international human rights organizations have raised alarms. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have described the proceedings as a systematic purge of political rivals. The immediate enforcement of Bhiri's sentence signals the government's resolve to continue its corrective path, a term used by supporters of the President to describe the restructuring of the state since the suspension of parliament in 2021. However, for the families of the detained and the remnants of the political opposition, the verdict is seen as a further erosion of the democratic gains made during the 2011 revolution.
With the sentencing of Noureddine Bhiri adding to the decades of prison time already facing Ennahda's leadership, what impact do you think these cumulative judicial rulings will have on the possibility of a unified opposition challenge in future local and legislative elections?
