The Tunis Court of Appeal postponed the examination of the Instalingo case, due to the absence of several defendants and requests for release made by certain defendants.
Absences of defendants and requests for release
The criminal chamber of the Court of Appeal decided, Tuesday, December 2, 2025, to postpone the hearing to a later date.
Several defendants, prosecuted at large, did not appear due to lack of having been notified of their summons, according to information communicated by the court.
The session was also marked by the examination of a series of requests for release filed by defense lawyers.
The Instalingo affair, born around a communications company based in Kalaâ Kebira, involves an exceptional number of people: political figures, businessmen, influencers, bloggers and public officials. Among the best-known defendants is the former Minister of the Interior and former head of government, Hichem Mechichi.
The prosecution accuses the company and certain of its collaborators of having disseminated and coordinated content aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining state security.
Heavy sentences already handed down
A second file was opened in 2022, after a report from the Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission, this time relating to possible money laundering operations linked to the company’s activities. This component reinforced the sensitive and complex nature of the investigation, by multiplying the expertise and hearings.
Before this stage of appeal, the second criminal chamber of the Court of First Instance of Tunis had rendered a harsh judgment: sentences ranging from five to fifty-four years in prison, depending on the role of each person in the alleged acts.
All of these convictions were contested, leading the case to the Tunis Court of Appeal, which was responsible for re-examining responsibilities and the validity of the procedures.
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