Tunisia court gives long prison terms to 40 opposition leaders, business and media figures

TUNIS (Reuters) -A Tunisian appeals court on Friday sentenced 40 opposition leaders, business and media figures to jail terms ranging from five to 45 years on charges of conspiring against state security, the state news agency TAP said.

The case was one of the largest prosecutions for security offences in the North African country’s recent history. The defendants had been on trial since March, while more than 20 others had fled abroad, authorities said.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Mark Heinrich)