Social media account rips Tunisian Supreme Court’s decision to extend Ennahda leader Ghannouchi's prison sentence

By Mehmet Akif Turan and Adel Bin Ibrahim Bin Elhady Elthabti

TUNISIA (AA) - A social media account Tuesday ripped a Supreme Court's decision to extend the prison sentence of opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to 15 months for “praising terrorism.”

"In the case heard at the Tunisian Court of Appeals on Monday, the 1-year prison sentence given to Ghannouchi was increased to 15 months in prison,” according to the Ghannouchi is not alone account, created to support the Ennahda leader.

It characterized accusations against Ghannouchi as "politically motivated," noting he had abstained from attending hearings, citing his arbitrary arrest.

A court sentenced Ghannouchi, one of the main opponents of President Kais Saied, to one year in prison on May 15 on terrorism-related charges after he was arrested April 17 on accusations of plotting against state security.

The sentence came amid a campaign against critics of Saied, which accused them of being part of a conspiracy against the state.

In February, Amnesty International described Saied's crackdown against political opponents as "a politically motivated witch hunt."

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul