The party that once dominated Tunisian politics has faded away since President Kais Saied staged a dramatic power grab, with its offices shuttered and leaders behind bars or in exile.

But observers say that Ennahdha, the Islamist-inspired movement still considered by some Tunisians as the country's main opposition party, could still bounce back after a devastating government crackdown.

On July 25, 2021, Saied stunned the country when he suspended parliament and dissolved the government, a move critics denounced as a "coup" a decade after the Arab Spring revolt ushered in a democratic transition in the North African country.

Many of Saied's critics have been prosecuted and jailed, including Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, a former parliament speaker who was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in prison for plotting against the state.

Ghannouchi, who was arrested in 2023, has racked up several prison terms, including a 22-year sentence handed in February on the same charge.

The crackdown over the past four years has seen around 150 Ennahdha figures imprisoned, prosecuted or living in exile, according to a party........

© Al Monitor