A Tunisian court has sentenced the leader of opposition party Ennahda and former parliamentary speaker, Rached Ghannouchi, to three years in prison for receiving illegal financing for the party from abroad, Tunisian media reported, citing a court spokesperson.
In May 2023, Ghannouchi was sentenced to a one-year prison term on charges of incitement against police.
The new sentence was handed on Thursday by a court of first instance specializing in corruption cases and takes effect immediately, the Mosaique FM radio reported.
In June 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the government amid mass protests against the parliament and the Islamist party Ennahda, caused by the deterioration of living conditions. In March 2022, the head of state dismissed the parliament, saying he was doing it to protect the government and its institutions.
Early parliamentary elections were held in Tunisia between December 2022 and January 2023. Voter turnout was as low as 11%, and the opposition boycotted the elections.
