The court jails the General Coordinator of the Polar Party, Riyad Ben Faal, for 20 years
The Tunisian Primary Court initially sentences Riyad bin Fadl and 18 other defendants in a money laundering and confiscation of property case.
The competent Criminal Chamber for the consideration of financial corruption cases at the Tunisian Primary Court, on Thursday 30 October 2025, initially and in person, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the right of the General Coordinator of the Polar Party Riyad Ben Fadl. The verdict included sentencing 18 other defendants to nine years in prison in the money laundering, financial and administrative corruption case.
The facts of the case relate to follow-up on acquisitions and disposals of assets belonging to the State's confiscated property file after the events of 2011. Most of the 18 defendants sentenced to nine years' imprisonment were represented on this file, while the Criminal Chamber dismissed the case and ruled that two defendants were entitled to the same file.
These judgments fall within the legal framework of anti-money laundering and counter-financial and administrative organised corruption banking and financial legislation. The main defendant Riyad Ben Fadel was placed on probation on November 14, 2023 at Tunisian Carthage Airport, to be followed by the issuance of a custodial injunction on November 24, 2023.
The Tunisian Court of Appeal in April 2025 had previously violated a separate preliminary ruling issued against the PPP's general coordinator in May 2024 with a four-and-a-half year sentence following a financial settlement. The current trial comes after the Criminal Chamber set a date for its recent hearing to consider the charges brought against the group.
The Criminal Chamber responsible for the financial corruption cases in the Tunisian Primary Court had earlier scheduled a trial for Al-Party coordinator Riyad Ben Fadl and more than 18 other money laundering defendants.
These decisions made by the Criminal Chamber are still preliminary rulings that can be appealed. Applicable procedures allow defence bodies and public prosecutors to appeal the verdict before the Court of Appeal within specified deadlines.