A Tunisian court has sentenced leading businessman Marouan Mabrouk to prison on corruption charges, alongside a former prime minister and several former cabinet members linked to the case.
Mabrouk, one of Tunisia’s wealthiest businessmen, has been in detention since late 2023. He is also the son-in-law of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted during Tunisia’s 2011 uprising. Unlike many of Ben Ali’s relatives, Mabrouk remained in Tunisia following the revolution.
Prosecutors accused him of money laundering, misappropriating funds from state-owned companies, and unlawfully benefiting from government decisions. Mabrouk holds extensive business interests across retail, banking, telecommunications, and the automotive sector, including stakes in major domestic and international companies.
Former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, who led the government from 2016 to 2020, was sentenced in absentia as he currently resides in the United States. Chahed has denied all allegations, describing the proceedings as politically motivated.
Alongside Chahed, several former ministers including those responsible for foreign affairs, finance, human rights, and communication technologies received six-year prison sentences and substantial financial penalties. They were found guilty of lifting a previous asset freeze imposed on Mabrouk.
The trial forms part of President Kais Saied’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, launched after he dissolved parliament and assumed sweeping powers in 2021. In 2022, Saied established a committee aimed at recovering billions of dollars from businessmen accused of corruption, citing the funds as necessary to alleviate Tunisia’s financial crisis.
Despite the high-profile convictions, no major recoveries of assets have been publicly reported to date, raising questions over the campaign’s tangible impact.
