Eight sentenced to death for 2013 assassination of Tunisian politician

Twelve years after the assassination of Tunisian politician Mohamed Brahmi, a court in Tunis has sentenced eight individuals to death in connection with the killing, according to AFP, citing local news reports.

The defendants were reportedly found guilty of “inciting armed conflict” and attempting to “change the state’s nature.” A ninth suspect, who remains at large, was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison for “failing to report terrorist crimes to the authorities.”

Although Tunisia still upholds the death penalty, executions have been halted under a moratorium in place since 1991, meaning the sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment.

Brahmi was fatally shot outside his home on July 25, 2013, in front of his wife and children. His murder occurred during a period of political instability following the Arab Spring, which led to the overthrow of long-time ruler Zine Abidine Ben Ali.

A vocal critic of Islamist extremism, Brahmi openly opposed the ruling Ennahdha party. His family has long accused Ennahdha of orchestrating his murder, though the party has consistently denied involvement.

His assassination followed the killing of another leftist politician, Chokri Belaid, earlier in 2013. Fighters linked to the Islamic State later claimed responsibility for both attacks.

In 2022, President Kais Saied, who has described the murders of Brahmi and Belaid as national tragedies, dismissed numerous judges, accusing them of obstructing the investigations.

The recent verdict marks the first set of rulings in the long-running case, bringing partial closure to one of Tunisia’s most politically charged assassinations.