The Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis has handed down four-year prison sentences to opposition Ennahda Movement figures Noureddine Bhiri, a former Minister of Justice, and Monder Lounissi, a former adviser to the Minister of Health, in connection with the death of Jilani Dabboussi. Sentences for other defendants in the case ranged from two to four years.
These rulings come amid what appears to be a broader pattern of the Tunisian authorities utilising the judiciary against political opponents, including the instrumentalisation of sensitive humanitarian cases for political purposes.
Dabboussi, a businessman and parliamentarian during the era of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, died on 7 May 2014, just hours after his release from prison, where he had been held since 7 October 2011 on charges of corruption, embezzlement, and nepotism. In 2019, his family submitted a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee regarding the circumstances of his death, following his 31-month pretrial detention without trial.
The defendants have repeatedly denied any involvement in Dabboussi’s death.
These verdicts raise serious concerns regarding the independence of the judiciary in Tunisia. Patterns of selective prosecution, prolonged detention of political opponents, and the use of humanitarian cases in politically sensitive contexts risk undermining fundamental fair trial guarantees and broader human rights protections.
Ensuring the right to a fair trial, safeguarding the lives of detainees, and upholding the separation of powers are essential principles under international law. In their absence, judicial processes risk being perceived as instruments of authority rather than mechanisms of justice, with significant implications for the rule of law and public trust.
