Tunisia sentences opposition leader Abir Moussi to 12 years in jail

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffDecember 12, 2025 at 11:36 PM

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In December 2025, a Tunisian court sentenced opposition leader Abir Moussi to 12 years in prison. Moussi, head of the Free Destourian Party and a supporter of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was convicted amidst a crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied. She was arrested in 2023 on suspicion of assault intended to cause chaos. Her lawyer and party condemned the ruling as politically motivated, citing her arbitrary detention since October 2023. Moussi has been a vocal critic of President Saied, who shut down parliament in 2021 and has been ruling by decree, claiming it was to save the country from anarchy. The case is part of a wider crackdown on opposition figures in Tunisia.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kais Saied ×380% Abir Moussi ×6100% Tunisia ×6100%

Keywords

political crackdown 90% abir moussi 80% opposition leader 80% tunisia 70% free destourian party 60% kais saied 60% rule by decree 50% political imprisonment 50% democracy 40%