4 sentenced to death in Tunisia for 2013 political assassination
Belaid’s brother calls sentences ‘positive step’ and says trial of those who planned the killing is still awaited
Four people were sentenced Wednesday to death and two to life in prison for a murder that sparked widespread unrest in Tunisia and became emblematic of the country’s early challenges transitioning from dictatorship to democracy after the Arab Spring.
Chokri Belaid, the 48-year-old leader of the Popular Front coalition, was a prominent critic of the radical group Ennahda that ascended to power after 2011 uprisings toppled the country’s dictator. His assassination was among a spate of violent episodes that provoked protests in 2013 and became emblematic of Tunisia’s early struggles to reconcile its celebrated secular traditions with the revival of religious ultraconservatives. A criminal court tasked with handling terrorism cases handed down 23 sentences for Belaid’s murder. The sentences, in addition to the death penalties and life sentences, ranged in length from two to 120 years, a public prosecutor said outside of the court.
Belaid’s brother Abdelmajid Belaid called the sentences “a positive step” and said that supporters were still awaiting the trial of those suspected of planning the assassination. Belaid’s case was reopened last month after a former investigating judge was arrested on suspicion of concealing certain files. Wednesday’s sentencing came after hours of late night delays and lengthy deliberations due to “the complexity of the very thorny case,” said Mohamed Jmour, a member of Belaid’s defense committee.
Before his death, Belaid had earned a following for his forceful denunciations of Ennahda, which rose to power after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011.