Lawyers decry 'violations' in mass appeal of Tunisia opposition

An appeal brought by dozens of Tunisian opposition figures against their convictions for "conspiracy against the state" was opened Monday but swiftly deferred after defence lawyers complained of irregularities, several of the defenders told AFP.

One lawyer challenged "violations of procedure" from the beginning of Monday's hearing, as the defendants were not brought before the court but instead scheduled to appear by video conference, another lawyer, Faouzi Jaballah, said.

Fellow defender Karim Marzouki said that the judge had decided to delay the proceedings until November 17.

But local media reported the judge rejected both bringing the accused into the courtroom and the provisional release demanded by their lawyers.

Lawyer Dalila Msaddek told AFP that defenders had not been officially notified of the judge's decision by Monday evening.

Almost 40 people are on trial over charges of "conspiracy against the state's internal and external security" and "membership of a terrorist group".

The group, initially convicted in April with sentences ranging up to 74 years in prison, includes well-known opposition figures, lawyers and business people.

Among them are Issam Chebbi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek of the opposition National Salvation Front coalition, as well as feminist activist Bochra Belhaj Hmida.

Msaddek - who is Ben Mbarek's sister - said the appeal's announcement at short notice on Friday was intended to prevent the hearing from "causing a stir".

"They are neither terrorists nor serious criminals," Msaddek said about the defendants.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk in April said the mass trial was "marred by violations of fair trial and due process rights", adding it raised "serious concerns about political motivations".

France, Germany among other Western countries also condemned the trial.

But President Kais Saied dismissed the "comments and statements by foreign parties" as "blatant interference in Tunisia's internal affairs".

Since Saied launched a power grab in the summer of 2021 and assumed total control, rights advocates and opposition figures have decried a rollback of freedoms in the North African country where the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings began.

In July, another trial of nearly two dozen opposition figures also accused of plotting against the state handed hefty sentences to defendants including Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party.

The 84-year-old opposition figure and former parliament speaker had already been jailed in another case.

Further critics of Saied are also currently being prosecuted or behind bars under a presidential decree-law prohibiting "spreading false news".