A Tunisian court on Saturday handed jail terms of 13 to 66 years to opposition leaders, businessmen and lawyers on charges of conspiring, a case the opposition says is fabricated and a symbol of President Kais Saied's authoritarian rule.

As the North African nation continues to slide toward authoritarianism, a court sentenced about 40 people, including high-profile rivals of the president, to up to 66 years in prison.

A court in Tunisia has sentenced a group of senior politicians, businessmen and lawyers to long prison sentences on conspiracy and terrorism charges. The defendants received sentences of up to 66 years. They include leaders of National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition, who were arrested in 2023.