Specialized Criminal Court Holds Second Appeal Hearing in "Plot Against State Security 1" Case
The specialized criminal court for terrorism cases near the Court of Appeal in Tunis held its second appeal hearing today, Monday, in the case known as "Plot Against State Security 1", after the first hearing was held on October 27. The case was postponed to today's hearing to summon the remaining defendants who are currently free, in response to formal requests from the defense team, which also included canceling the decision to hold a remote trial for detainees and examining requests for release. On April 19, 2025, the Fifth Penal Chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Court of First Instance in Tunis sentenced the defendants in the "Plot Against State Security" case to prison terms ranging from 4 to 66 years, according to a statement to the TAP by the first assistant to the Public Prosecutor at the Judicial Pole for Combating Terrorism. The prison sentences affected 37 defendants, some of whom are in detention and others who are free. As for the defendants who are on the run, the judgments issued against them are subject to immediate execution. Additionally, the names of 3 defendants were removed from the case file after they appealed the decision of the Indictment Chamber (Court of Appeal) by cassation. These include Riadh Khamis Ammar Ech-Chaïbi, Mohamed Kamal Hassouna Amara El Jandoubi (on the run), and Noureddine Hamed Belkacem Ben Ticha (on the run). The charges against the individuals referred to in this case included crimes, the most important of which are plotting against the internal and external security of the state and forming a group linked to terrorist crimes.
