Tunisia (agencies)
A court in Tunisia sentenced 4 convicts to death and life imprisonment for two others in the case of the assassination of Tunisian politician Chokri Belaid.
23 people were convicted of the assassination of the 48-year-old lawyer inside his car in front of his house on February 6, 2016. Belaid was one of the most vocal critics of the Ennahda movement ruling at the time in Tunisia, and following his assassination, it was forced to temporarily leave power.
After 15 hours of deliberations and 11 years of investigations and judicial procedures, the criminal chamber responsible for terrorism cases in the Tunis Court of First Instance also sentenced two convicts to life imprisonment, according to what the Assistant Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance, Ayman Shatiba, announced on television.
Yesterday, the President of the Fifth Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis adjourned the trial session, for deliberation that preceded the pronouncement of the verdict.
The court had previously heard the defendants’ requests, which ranged from “a ruling based on responsibility in the case,” to “not hearing the case,” and demanding acquittal.
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