The Tunisian court has recently sentenced eight terrorists to death. They have been implicated in the tragic 2015 suicide bombing of a presidential guard bus on Avenue Bourguiba in Tunis, killing 12 guards and wounding another 20. The country is preparing to conduct the first-ever new mass trial of over 40 defendants. Together, these locals are charged with conspiracies of all types against the state and its president, Kais Saied. The current legal saga illustrates Tunisia’s complicated history with the death penalty and the shifting political context of the recent arrests.
The trial, which was to start on March 4, was delayed several times until it was finally rescheduled for April 11. The defendants include some of Tunisia’s most well-known leaders of the opposition, diplomats and members of the press. In return, they are under indictment for working with “foreign powers” to overthrow the Saied government. This mass trial underscores the profound concern over dissent and political opposition in Tunisia. Recent national and local crackdowns on civil liberties have only increased these concerns.
Recent Sentencing and Historical Context
Tunisia’s judiciary has been exceedingly firm in its prosecution of terrorism-linked crimes. Last month, they won convictions in the 2015 bombing. The year prior, in a much-publicized related case, the death sentences of 16 others had been overturned. They were linked to a March 2016 assault on the southern city of Ben Guerdane. Following that attack, we mourned the deaths of seven unfortunate civilians and 13 security personnel. Unfortunately, it underscores the security challenges that the Philippines still face today.
Furthermore, the Tunisian judicial system has experienced additional publicized prosecution misfires relating to political assassination cases. In February of this year, the court sentenced eight people to death. This time they were convicted for the 2013 murder of opposition politician Mohammed Brahmi. Then in March 2024, the court sentenced four of them to death. They were ultimately convicted for the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid. These cases are indicative of a larger pattern in Tunisia’s judicial handling of politically motivated violence.
The Death Penalty in Tunisia
Tunisia’s constitution, adopted in 2014, specifically allows for legal executions. Yet, at the same time, the country has supported United Nations initiatives to declare a global moratorium on the death penalty. Though President Kais Saied had publicly supported bringing back capital punishment before his 2021 coup, the death penalty is still effectively nonexistent in Tunisia. Tunisia’s last execution was in 1991. In 1993, authorities hanged serial killer Naceur Damergi (above), since when the country has kept a de facto moratorium for more than thirty years.
In reality, the death penalty remains a formal option in Tunisia’s legal regime. Yet its non-application in the face of this unprecedented political turmoil invites crucial questions surrounding its future use. As high-profile trials kick off across the country, tensions are boiling over. Now critics are asking if Tunisia has the capacity to uphold its cumbersome relationship with death penalty while addressing pressing security and political issues.
