A Tunisian court has sentenced former justice minister Noureddine Bhiri to 20 years in prison in a case involving alleged falsification of passports and citizenship documents for foreign nationals, state media reported.
Bhiri, a senior figure in the Ennahda Movement, was convicted alongside several others over accusations that documents were issued to foreigners wanted in terrorism-related cases during his tenure as justice minister in 2012. He and his legal team deny all charges.
According to Tunisia’s state news agency, the criminal chamber specialising in terrorism cases at the Tunis primary court handed down sentences ranging from 11 to 30 years in what has been dubbed the “forged passports and citizenships” case.
Bhiri and former security official Fathi al-Baladi each received 20-year prison terms, while Moaz Kheriji — son of Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi — was sentenced in absentia to 30 years, along with three other fugitives.
Two additional defendants were sentenced to 11 years, and all those convicted were placed under administrative supervision for five years.
The court also dropped former prime minister Hamadi Jebali from the case.
Although the rulings remain subject to appeal, the court ordered immediate enforcement of the sentences.
State media said the case involved granting Tunisian nationality using allegedly fabricated documentation, including records linked to a Syrian national accused of ties to international terrorism cases.
Authorities say the case traces back to passports issued to a Syrian man and his wife by Tunisia’s embassy in Vienna between 1982 and 1984. Prosecutors allege those documents were later used as the basis for fraudulent nationality claims in 2012, when Bhiri oversaw the justice ministry.
Bhiri has argued that the origins of the case predate his time in office, while his defence team has dismissed the prosecution as politically motivated and lacking legal merit.
The sentencing comes amid a broader crackdown that has seen Tunisian authorities detain opposition politicians, lawyers and civil society figures since 2023 on charges ranging from conspiracy against state security to financial crimes.
Those targeted include Ghannouchi, opposition leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, former presidential office minister Ridha Belhaj, Republican Party secretary-general Issam Chebbi, and former minister Ghazi Chaouachi.
Tunisian authorities maintain that the judiciary is independent and that legal proceedings are conducted in accordance with the law. Opposition groups, however, accuse the government of using the courts to suppress dissent.