The criminal chamber of the court of first instance of Tunis imposed a two-year prison sentence and a fine on Friday, November 14, 2025, on Rached Ghannouchi, former president of the ARP, for a donation made to the Tunisian Red Crescent. Its defense committee denounces a “political” judgment and procedural irregularities.
A humanitarian donation at the heart of the condemnation
According to Rached Ghannouchi’s defense committee, the judgment concerns a donation made to the Tunisian Red Crescent. This donation matched the amount of an international award Ghannouchi received on November 7, 2016 for his promotion of Gandhian principles of peace and tolerance, an honor he was the first Arab to achieve.
The amount, more than $14,000, was donated in full to the Red Crescent to support its humanitarian actions. The award ceremony took place during an official, widely publicized ceremony in the presence of representatives of the organization and several political figures.
Contested accusations
The defense committee underlines that the case presents several procedural irregularities: prosecutions maintained despite the statute of limitations, use of reports deemed invalid for formal defects, and judgment rendered at the first hearing without delay to prepare the defense.
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