A Tunisian court has sentenced senior Ennahda official Sahbi Atig to 15 years in prison on money laundering charges, marking another sharp escalation in President Kais Saied’s crackdown on political rivals, according to his lawyer.

Atig, who was arrested in 2023, is among dozens of opposition leaders and activists imprisoned since Saied began consolidating power in 2021.

The president has faced widespread criticism for disbanding parliament, ruling by decree, and sidelining democratic institutions in what many have described as an authoritarian turn.

Atig has dismissed the charges as baseless.

His lawyer, Mokthar Jmaayi, accused the authorities of weaponising the judiciary to silence critics. “The verdict aims to eliminate political opponents and lacks any credible evidence,” Jmaayi told Reuters.

“It is a continuation of the punishment of opponents by using the judiciary and distracting people from their real problems.”

The 15-year sentence, though severe, is not the harshest issued under Saied’s administration.

In April, courts sentenced several opposition politicians, business figures, and lawyers to terms as long as 66 years for allegedly conspiring against the state.

Since taking sweeping powers in 2021, Saied has reshaped Tunisia’s political and legal landscape. In 2022, he dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and fired dozens of judges — moves that alarmed rights groups and raised red flags over judicial independence.

Despite mounting criticism, Saied insists his actions are lawful and necessary to root out corruption. “I do not interfere in the judiciary,” the president has repeatedly said, arguing his aim is to rid the system of corrupt judges and restore accountability.

However, most top political figures are now behind bars, including Free Constitutional Party leader Abir Moussi and Ennahda chief Rached Ghannouchi — two of Saied’s most outspoken challengers.

The sentencing of Atig deepens concerns about Tunisia’s democratic backsliding and highlights the growing use of the courts as a tool to suppress dissent in a country once seen as a rare success story of the Arab Spring.