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Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement and the former parliament speaker, marked 1,000 days in prison in a message published Sunday by the party, calling for a peaceful struggle for a “free Tunisia” and condemning what he described as “authoritarianism and exclusion.”
The statement came in a message from Ghannouchi, the former parliament speaker, marking 1,000 days since his imprisonment. Ennahda published the message on its Facebook page on Sunday.
“Authoritarianism and exclusion are two sides of the same coin, and since its founding, Ennahda has never imposed a veto against any party, inside or outside the country,” he stressed.
He went on to say the movement “did not object when former President Habib Bourguiba (1956 to 1987) recognized the Communist Party (in 1981) and enabled it to regain its legal license, even though on that same day he launched an arrest campaign against Ennahda leaders,” arguing that “the mistake was arresting one political side, not recognizing another, because we believe freedom has room for everyone.”
Ghannouchi stressed that “principles do not cause those who uphold them to lose, even if it may appear otherwise in the short term,” adding, “We have learned that God gives respite to the oppressor, but when He seizes him, He does not let him go.”
He said the people’s history shows they “endure injustice but accumulate anger until the cup overflows, and then they rise up in a single uprising that breaks tyranny,” as he put it.
“Our conviction and belief is that this moment is coming, and God willing, it will come sooner rather than later. So rejoice, you who struggle for freedom and dignity, you who hold on to the ember of peaceful struggle for a free Tunisia, a Tunisia for all its sons!” he added.
Ghannouchi has been imprisoned since his arrest on April 17, 2023, after a raid on his home, on charges of “inciting against state security.”
Several prison sentences have also been issued against him in separate cases.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal in Tunis upheld a first-instance ruling sentencing the Ennahda leader to 22 years in prison in the “Instalingo” case.
On Feb. 5, 2025, a court of first instance issued prison sentences ranging from five to 54 years against 41 politicians, journalists, bloggers and businessmen, including Ghannouchi, 84.
Instalingo is a digital content and communications company based in Kalaa Kebira, Sousse. Authorities raided its offices on Sept. 10, 2021, on suspicion of state security offenses, money laundering and online defamation.
Authorities say the case involves criminal charges and deny interfering in the judiciary, while the opposition calls it politically motivated and says the courts are being used to target critics of President Kais Saied’s exceptional measures.
On July 25, 2021, Saied began imposing exceptional measures that included dissolving parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, adopting a new constitution through a referendum, and holding early parliamentary elections.
Saied, for his part, says his measures are “steps within the constitution to protect the state from an imminent danger,” stressing that freedoms and rights will not be undermined.
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