Tunisia Jails Former Head of Anti-graft Body for 10 Years

A Tunisian court sentenced the former head of the national anti-graft body to 10 years in prison over charges including forging documents, his lawyer said on Friday. Chawki Tabib, who is also a prominent lawyer and the former head of the Tunisian bar association, was arrested last April. Defense lawyer Samir Dilou said Tabib, 62, was convicted on Thursday of “forging documents” and “possessing and using forged documents.” The charges came after a complaint lodged against him following a report by the National Anti-Corruption Authority, which Tabib headed from 2016 to 2020, accusing former prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh of a conflict of interest during his tenure. According to AFP, Fakhfakh then sacked Tabib, who called the measure “unconstitutional” and an “abuse of power.” The anti-graft body was dissolved in 2021 after a sweeping power grab by President Kais Saied, which rights groups have said precipitated a major rollback in freedoms in Tunisia. Tabib has defended several political opponents of Saied in court. He is currently facing other judicial cases, including over alleged money laundering and other violations during his tenure as head of the anti-graft body.