Appeal court raises the sentences of ex-prosecutor Akremi and Ennahdha's Ellouze in the Belaid file
The specialised terrorism chamber at the Tunis Court of Appeal has increased prison terms in two separate files concerning irregularities in the investigation into Chokri Belaid's assassination: former dismissed public prosecutor Bechir Akremi now faces a cumulative 29 years against 23 at first instance, while Ennahdha leader Habib Ellouze and Hassan Ben Brik go from 13 to 17 years each. Akremi was convicted of, among other things, deliberately failing as a public official to arrest a suspect so he could evade prosecution and of concealing the truth by abusing his judicial powers; the other two of putting their skills and information at the service of people linked to terrorist acts. The court also confirmed administrative supervision of all three after their sentences end. The case sits at the centre of Tunisia's argument over whether the judiciary itself buried the killing of the left-wing leader.