Tunisia sentences 4 to death for Politician Assassination

Tunisia’s court issued death penalties for four individuals and life imprisonment for two others over the assassination of prominent politician Chokri Belaid in 2013, a case that ignited mass protests against the ruling Islamist party.

A Tunisian court delivered a verdict on Wednesday, condemning four individuals to death and two to life imprisonment for their involvement in the assassination of Chokri Belaid, a prominent leftist politician, 11 years ago. Belaid’s murder, orchestrated by gunmen on February 6, 2013, triggered widespread outrage and protests against the Islamist Ennahda party, which held power at the time.

Belaid, known for his vocal criticism of Ennahda’s governance, was shot dead in his car, marking Tunisia’s first political assassination in decades. The incident fueled violent demonstrations, adding to the unrest that followed the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, which led to the downfall of several authoritarian regimes in the region.

Following Belaid’s assassination, Mohamed Brahmi, another leftist figure, suffered a similar fate, further intensifying public outcry and forcing the Ennahda-led government to resign under pressure. The government attributed both killings to the jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia, classified as a terrorist organization in August 2013. In total, eighteen suspects were sentenced in connection with the assassinations.

While Belaid’s family and secularist politicians accused Ennahda of orchestrating the killings, the party vehemently denied any involvement. Ennahda maintained its innocence, emphasizing that judicial findings exonerated the party from responsibility.

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