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A Tunis court on Friday sentenced Ennahda Party leader Rached Ghannouchi to two years in prison and fined him $70,000. The case is linked to his donation of the Gandhi Peace Prize funds to the Tunisian Red Crescent, a ruling his defense team says is politically motivated and marred by serious procedural violations.
The court described it as “donating the value of the international award for promoting Gandhian principles of peace and tolerance to the Tunisian Red Crescent,” treating the case as attempted tax evasion.
According to the defense, Ghannouchi received the prize in 2016 “in recognition of his lifelong efforts to promote tolerance, peace, and compassion” as the first Arab figure to be honored with the award.
He donated the full amount of the prize—more than $14,000—directly to the Tunisian Red Crescent in support of its humanitarian activities inside and outside the country.
The donation was made during a ceremony attended by representatives of the organization, along with several public and political figures, and received wide media coverage.
They argued that the ruling “concludes a judicial process marred by numerous procedural violations, legal inconsistencies, and disregard for the basic standards of a fair trial.”
The defense further described the verdict as “a blatant breach of the principles of due process” and proof that the cases brought against Ghannouchi are “politically motivated, aimed at undermining the reputation of a figure internationally recognized for peace and tolerance.”
They expressed their “condemnation of the ongoing targeting of Ghannouchi and the pursuit of dozens of cases against him despite his proven innocence in many of them,” insisting on “his right to a fair trial with all legal guarantees, foremost of which is the right to defense.”
Lawyer Samir Dilou wrote, “Donating the Gandhi Prize = two years in prison and a fine of 206,000 dinars!”
He explained that the prize is awarded “in recognition of contributions to promoting Gandhi’s values of peace and tolerance,” and that it was presented to Ghannouchi on Nov. 7, 2016, after which he donated the full amount ($14,000) to the Tunisian Red Crescent.
He added that the criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance handled the case as part of a review of the financial activities of all members of parliament for the 2019–2024 term.
On Friday, the court issued a ruling sentencing Ghannouchi to two years in prison and a fine of 206,000 dinars, “without questioning or hearings.”
Riyadh Chaibi, Ghannouchi’s political adviser, commented, “A regime that refuses to let any good deed go unpunished. Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi donated the value of the Gandhi international prize (over 40,000 Tunisian dinars) to the Tunisian Red Crescent, and the July 25 coup court sentenced him to two years in prison and a financial penalty.”
Former Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem added, “A Janjaweed-style system that manipulates the judiciary and uses it to strike political opponents.”
Ghannouchi, who has been detained for more than two years, faces cumulative prison sentences exceeding 40 years on charges including “conspiracy,” “terrorism,” and “money laundering”—allegations he and Ennahda deny, saying he is paying the price for opposing President Kais Saied’s rule.
Days ago, Ghannouchi announced an open hunger strike in solidarity with detained politician Jawhar Ben Mubarak.
From prison, he also issued a message calling on Tunisia’s political class to move beyond ideological divisions.
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