The criminal chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of Appeal delivered, at dawn on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, its appeal judgments in the case of the assassination of martyr Chokri Belaïd. Verdicts range from dismissal of charges to death by hanging.
Verdicts varying from dismissal to capital punishment
According to the information communicated, the appeal judgments concern 23 defendants involved in this emblematic case.
The court declared a dismissal (dismissal of proceedings or lack of sufficient charges) for nine defendants, confirming the first instance verdicts rendered against them.
Two defendants, Mohamed Aouadi and Ezzeddine Abdellaoui, were sentenced to death by hanging, with an additional 105 years and 10 years in prison respectively. Four other defendants were sentenced to life in prison, with additional terms for each of them.
The Court of Appeal decided to confirm the first instance judgments against several defendants, including Mohamed Akkari, Yasser Moulhi, Mohamed Ali Damak, Seifeddine Arfaoui, Houssam Mezlini, Mohamed Aouadi, Ezzeddine Abdellaoui, Mohamed Omri, Mohamed Khiari, Maher Akkari, Allam Tizaoui, Hamza Arfaoui, Kais Mechalla, Moâd Hmaïdia.
The chamber also pronounced life imprisonment for Mohamed Amine Guesmi, with an additional 20 years, and life imprisonment also for Abderraouf Talbi. Ahmed Melki, nicknamed “El Somali”, was sentenced to 37 years of imprisonment.
A symbolic affair that always stands out
The assassination of Chokri Belaïd, figure of the Tunisian left and general coordinator of the Unified Democratic Patriots Party (Watad), which occurred on February 6, 2013, shook the national political scene and provoked an unprecedented wave of popular indignation.
These appeal verdicts mark a new legal stage in a case which continues to arouse strong emotion and careful monitoring from public opinion and those close to the late activist.
