The court of first instance of Tunis is organizing this Monday the appeal hearing in the high-profile case known as the “plot against state security”. Please note: the accused will not be physically present in the courtroom, a modality described as a “violation of the rights of the defense” by the committee of their lawyers.
Virtual presence and restricted visibility
The appeal hearing, scheduled for this Monday, October 27, will take place entirely remotely. The defense committee denounces a “rushed and opaque decision”: according to it, the date of the hearing was entered in the register late – at 2 p.m. on the day of the hearing – preventing the detainees from being duly informed.
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In addition, the physical absence of the accused in the room is denounced as a “deliberate exclusion” by the committee, which considers that this modality severely limits the access of families, journalists and observers to the trial.
The charges against the defendants
Those accused are being prosecuted for serious offenses: constitution of a terrorist group, conspiracy against the internal and external security of the State, financing of terrorism, money laundering, attempted overthrow of the regime, and incitement to violence via social networks.
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The defense committee affirms that the appeal procedure “follows the same procedural maneuvers” as the first trial, which it also considers to be tainted by lack of transparency.
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- Plot against state security: Appeal hearing set for October 27
