Former Tunisian Prime Minister Larayedh Jailed for 24 Years
Last update: February 27, 2026
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Ennahda describes verdict as politically motivated amid ongoing crackdown.
Former Tunisian prime minister Ali Larayedh was sentenced on Friday to 24 years in prison on charges of facilitating the travel of Tunisian jihadists to Syria over the past decade, according to state media reports.
His party, the Ennahda Movement, said the case is politically motivated and forms part of a broader crackdown on dissent following President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in 2021, when he dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree.
Larayedh served as prime minister from 2013 to 2014 during a turbulent period after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution. He has been detained since 2022.
During Thursday’s court hearing, he told judges, “I am innocent. I am being subjected to injustice, abuse and ingratitude.” He retains the right to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
In the years following the 2011 uprising, hundreds of Tunisians traveled to Syria, Iraq, and Libya to join or fight alongside extremist groups including the Islamic State.
CBI News reports that Ennahda faced strong criticism from secular rivals who accused it of facilitating the departures while in power, allegations the party has consistently denied.
The case also involved seven other defendants, including former Interior Ministry officials. The state news agency TAP reported that sentences handed down ranged from three to 24 years in prison.
