Tunisia, a country in North Africa, saw justice served as four individuals were sentenced to death and two others received life imprisonment for the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid in 2013. This verdict was delivered by the deputy public prosecutor of the anti-terrorist judicial division on Wednesday. A total of 23 individuals were charged in connection with the murder of the leftist politician Belaid.
Belaid, known for his outspoken criticism of the ruling Islamist party Ennahdha, was tragically killed on February 6, 2013, in his car outside his residence. Despite a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 1991, Tunisia continues to hand down such sentences, particularly in terrorism-related cases.
Jihadists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State took responsibility for both Belaid’s assassination and that of another left-wing opposition figure, Mohamed Brahmi, six months later. In 2014, authorities confirmed the death of Kamel Gadhgadhi, the main perpetrator in Belaid’s case, during an anti-terrorist operation.
Both Belaid and Brahmi were vocal critics of Ennahdha, a party that held a decade-long majority in Tunisian politics following the 2011 revolution. However, the party’s political influence faced a significant blow in July 2021 when President Kais Saied orchestrated a sweeping power grab, altering the country’s political landscape.
In addition to the death and life imprisonment sentences, varying prison terms ranging from two to 120 years were handed down to other defendants involved in the case. Furthermore, five individuals were acquitted of any involvement in Belaid’s assassination.
This verdict marks a significant step towards justice for the slain opposition leader and serves as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of accountability and transparency within Tunisia’s legal system.