Former Tunisian Parliament Speaker sentenced to one year in prison

TUNIS, Tunisia - Former Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi was sentenced in absentia on Monday to a year in prison in a case brought against him by a security body, rerported Xinhua.

Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist party Ennahdha, was also fined 1,000 Tunisian dinars (US$333) by the Court of First Instance in Tunis, local media reported.

Ghannouchi was accused of calling the security forces "tyrants" during a funeral for one of the leaders of the Ennahda party in 2022, said the reports.

Ghannouchi, 82, who was arrested on the evening of April 17, has been facing a number of charges, including financial corruption, money laundering, terrorism, and assassinations. - BERNAMA-XINHUA