Tunis, Tunisia – Four individuals have been sentenced to death, and two others have been given life imprisonment following a lengthy investigation into the 2013 assassination of Tunisian secular opposition figure, Chokri Belaid. Despite a de facto moratorium on executions since 1991, Tunisia still issues death sentences, typically in cases deemed as terrorism-related.
Belaid’s murder, claimed by jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group, struck a significant blow to Tunisia’s emerging democracy, established after the toppling of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. The slow progress of the inquiry led to allegations of hindrance against the then ruling Islamist party Ennahdha, accusations that have been cited by secular President Kais Saied as justification for his recent actions, including the banning of the party.
The court’s decision was broadcast on national television early Wednesday after extensive deliberations lasting 15 hours. In total, 23 individuals were handed sentences ranging from two to 120 years, while five defendants were acquitted. Prosecutor Aymen Chtiba expressed satisfaction with the verdicts, affirming that justice had been served. Belaid, a vocal critic of Ennahdha, was fatally shot on February 6, 2013, outside his residence.
Jihadists associated with the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for his and another left-wing opposition figure, Mohamed Brahmi’s killings six months later. In 2014, authorities reported the death of Kamel Gadhgadhi, the alleged mastermind behind Belaid’s assassination, during a counterterrorism operation.
Last year, the justice ministry established a special commission to conduct an exhaustive examination of the police and judicial investigations. Over the past decade, the families and lawyers of the accused have accused political factions and certain judges of impeding the probes. Supporters of Belaid blamed Ennahdha, accusing the party of being tolerant of the extremist discourse prevailing at the time.
Following the 2011 revolution, Tunisia witnessed a rise in Islamist radicalism, with numerous jihadist volunteers joining conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. Terrorist assaults in Sousse and Tunis in 2015 resulted in the deaths of numerous tourists and law enforcement personnel, prompting authorities to assert significant progress in combating extremism. Post the attacks, Ennahdha addressed allegations of leniency by designating the previously lawful Salafist group Ansar al-Charia as a terrorist entity.
In a recent Facebook statement, Ennahdha welcomed the conclusion of the Belaid trial as a validation of its continual denials of any involvement in the crime. The party asserted that the court’s ruling had unequivocally exonerated the Ennahda movement from any culpability, despite efforts by various groups to malign them with baseless accusations.