Instalingo Case: Tunis Court of Appeal to Hold First Hearing
The criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal will hold its first hearing on Tuesday in the "Instalingo" case, according to a judicial source quoted by the TAP agency.
Background of the Case
The case involves 41 defendants, including 17 who are currently in detention. On February 5, 2025, the 2nd criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance handed down its judgments in the "Instalingo" case, sentencing the defendants to prison terms ranging from 5 to 54 years and imposing fines.
Charges and Defendants
The case affects a range of individuals, including security personnel, bloggers, journalists, businessmen, and politicians. Notable defendants include:
- Rached Ghannouchi, president of the Ennahdha movement
- Hichem Mechichi, former head of government
- Nadia Akecha, former chief of staff The charges against them include "plotting against the security of the state, changing the organization of the state, and offending the head of state," under articles 61, 62 bis, and 67 of the penal code.
Instalingo Company
Instalingo is a company based in Kalâa Kebira, Sousse, operating in the field of "content creation and digital communication." The company's headquarters were raided on September 10, 2021, following reports that it was involved in "undermining the security of the state, money laundering, and defamation through social media."
Previous Proceedings
The Sousse Court of First Instance initially handled the case before the investigating judge decided to transfer it to the Anti-Terrorism Judicial Pole at the end of 2024. The case has now been referred to the Tunis Court of Appeal, which will hold its first hearing on Tuesday.
