France, March 4 -- The trial of several prominent Tunisian opposition figures accused of national security offences opened on Tuesday, with rights groups denouncing the case as politically motivated.

Around 40 high-profile defendants are on trial in Tunisia, including former diplomats, politicians, lawyers and media figures. Some of them have been vocal critics of President Kais Saied.

In the courtroom, relatives of the accused chanted "Freedom" and accused the judiciary of acting on government orders.

Some defendants have been detained since February 2023, after Saied labelled them "terrorists".

Saied was elected in 2019, after Tunisia'sArab Spring, but he has since staged a sweeping power grab, especially from 2021. Rights groups re...