Four people have been sentenced to death over the assassination of prominent Tunisian leftist politician and lawyer Chokri Belaid.
Prosecutors also handed down sentences ranging from two to 120 years to 19 otherss.
Five were not sentenced due to previous convictions in terrorism-related cases, Aymen Chtiba, deputy public prosecutor in the antiterrorism judicial division told state-owned TV station Al Wataniya on Wednesday.
Mr Belaid, leader of the leftist Democratic Patriots Unified Party, better known as Watad, was shot and killed outside his home in February 2013.
He was one of the most vocal critics of Ennahda, the ruling party at the time.
His assassination prompted mass protests and eventually lead to the resignation of Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, who was one of Ennahda's leaders.
Investigations into the assassination had stalled due to difficulties including Tunisia's politically charged environment and security situation, following terrorist attacks and activities by ISIS and Al Qaeda affiliates. One of these groups, the Salafist group Ansar Al Sharia, claimed responsibility for Mr Belaid's assassination.
Throughout the years, Ennahda has faced allegations that it was complicit in the assassination of political opponents by an alleged “secret apparatus” within state security institutions.
The allegations were mainly made the defence committee for Mr Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi - another politician assassinated in July of the same year - which was formed by the families of the two men.
Ennahda also faced allegations of undermining the independence of the judiciary and being the primary force behind the stall in investigations into Mr Belaid's death.
Mr Belaid's assassination coincided with a rise in religious extremism and terrorist attacks in Tunisia.
He had faced several threats and public accusations of blasphemy – sometimes made by senior Ennahda officials such as Sahbi Atig and Habib Ellouze – due to his leftist ideology.
Many Tunisians have accused Ennahda of being indirectly involved by encouraging the rhetoric of some of its followers at that time.
The party has repeatedly dismissed the claims, describing them as defamation and attempts to discredit its rule.
On Wednesday, Ennahda welcomed the sentences and considered the final rulings of the judiciary as “a definite proof of its innocence.”
“[Ennahda] considers that these sentences should end the exploitation of the martyr’s death and restore respect to those who have been subjected to false political accusations, especially our leader, Mr Rached Ghannouchi,” the party said.
Wednesday's verdict was described as “a positive step” by Mr Belaid's family. However, they said it is still necessary to uncover those who are suspected of masterminding the assassination.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
